Call for immediate ban on disconnection of pay-as-you-go energy customers

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has called on the Taoiseach to introduce an immediate ban on disconnections because up to 200,000 people are now in electricity arrears.

She said Micheál Martin promised three weeks ago to help but claimed nothing had been done and she added that there was a lack of urgency in the assurances that Minister for Environment Eamon Ryan was working with energy companies on proposals to assist families on pay-as-you-go meters.

“Asking people to wait on the ‘never-never’ for your plan is simply not good enough,” Ms McDonald said in the Dáil on Wednesday.

A moratorium on disconnections is due to begin on December 1st until the end of February for most energy customers, but the Sinn Féin leader said it should begin now and remain in place until Spring. She said families were now having “dark days” because they could not afford their electricity and people spoke of their October energy bills arriving “like a body blow”.

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Calling for an immediate ban on disconnections she said some pay-as-you-go energy supplies guaranteed no disconnections at weekends and bank holidays.

This ban could be extended and remain in place until the spring.

The Taoiseach told her in response that Minister for Energy Eamon Ryan had meetings with energy companies and non-governmental organisations such as budgeting service Mabs and charities including St Vincent de Paul. He said the NGOs warned against increases in emergency credit for those on pre-payment meters because it could lead to further debt for families.

He did not believe there would be widespread disconnections this winter and the Government would plan to avoid this.

[ Additional supports to be announced for those struggling to pay energy bills  ]

Mr Martin added that the Government had made significant interventions in the budget and it was wrong to dismiss these when these measures would help cushion families against rising gas and electricity costs.

He said the €600 energy credits, paid in three instalments in the billing periods of November-December, January-February and March-April, were considerable.

“They should not be so lightly dismissed as the Government doing nothing,” he said adding that Sinn Fein’s alternative budget offered less than the Government’s interventions.