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THE €200 ELECTRICITY rebate should appear on customer bills “from next month” after legislation providing for the benefit was signed on Friday.
Last month, the government announced an a range of measures to help mitigate against the rising cost of living.
The central plank of this package was an electricity credit scheme that will see a credit of €176 (ex VAT) added to all bills. It’s estimated that 2.25 million electricity accounts will benefit from the scheme.
A new law was required to activate the scheme and the government has said this was “fast-tracked” by both Office of the Attorney General and the Oireachtas before the signature by President Higgins.
The rebate should therefore be applied on bills from next month (April) and continue over the following month.
Having considered the Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures Bill 2022, the President has signed the Bill and it has accordingly become law.
— President of Ireland (@PresidentIRL) March 4, 2022
Prepay meters
The once-off credit will be automatically applied to all electricity customer accounts, so most people won’t have to do anything to avail of it. People who use prepay cards will see their cards credited with €200.
However, the government is now providing advice to customers who hardship prepay meters because these meters have a €300 credit limit.
In these cases, the credit will be applied over the course of three separate top-ups or vends. The advice for customers is that when they top up by €10 on their next two top ups an extra credit of €90 will be applied each time, with a €20 extra credit applied on a third €10 top up.
Customers will be advised only to pay €10 on each occasion to receive their credit, and to allow one day between each payment.
For people who pay their electricity bill through rent, the government has said that there is an expectation that “landlords will pass on the credit to their tenants”.
The Department of the Environment has said that in the event of a dispute arising, “tenants and landlords are encouraged to try and resolve the matter together first, by keeping lines of communication open.”
“In the event that the dispute cannot be resolved between the parties, the matter may be referred to the RTB’s free mediation service, where an independent mediator helps both parties to come up with a solution that is mutually beneficial.”
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Having the regulator reduce the unit price would be far more beneficial to all of us. Maybe not the companies massive profit margins though.
@Stephen Fitzgerald: Wholesale cost of gas has skyrocketed for the providers like ESB (gas generates >60% of our electricity). Naturally has to be passed on to the consumer.
@Paul Hedderman: with an operating profit of 363m last year, surely it should not be entirely the consumers to bare. On another note, if a particular provider claims 100% renewable energy why has their price increased. Our renewable energy costs have not increased and our renewable energy production has.
@Stephen Fitzgerald: who do you think this government is working for Stephen? They are making everything possible and sure that these companies would retain their massive profits.
Peoples servants btw….
@Stephen Fitzgerald: Their annual report hasn’t been published for 2021 so how do you know thier post tax profit for the year? They had a good first half of 2021, second half wont be as good and this year definitely wont be. They have made good profits over the years though, its semi state so the govt gets a good cut. €1.2 billion paid to the Irish Exchequer in the last 10 years…… What id like to see is a reduction in USC to offset the higher costs. Or lowering the lower rate of income tax.
And why does the standing charge go up by same percentage as the actual unit prices- no correlation
When did the €200 become €176 ?
@Declan Doherty: 176 plus VAT = 200
@Gavin Conran: 100% it was 200€ including vat
Are shareholders in any company going to wake up and ever take even a fraction of a deducation in shares, seriously this pass the buck to the customer and when things get so bad its pass the buck to the goverment needs to stop. Who instead of taking these folks to task, open the wallet wide open.
@Dave.: Shareholders don’t give a hoot as long as they get their slice of the pie, the bigger the better.
@Dave.: shareholders like pension and investment funds ?
@Jason Walsh: You do realise that in many cases the major shareholders are usually pension funds and manage the pensions of normal day to day workers right?
@Lee King Buckett: of course they don’t know that. Or they do but ignore it and keep looking for government assisted Boogeyman that are coining it in at our expense to be all angry about. If they charged rent their heads would be less cluttered.
Wasn’t it supposed to be €200 plus vat?
@Jonathan O’Riordan: No; it was always €200 inclusive of VAT. Before that, the proposal was €100 ex. VAT. Is that what you’re thinking of?
@Jonathan O’Riordan: I thought so too.
@Jonathan O’Riordan: It was originally 100 euro plus VAT, but when the 200 was announced they specifically said 200 including VAT. They were asked to confirm that is the case during the Q&A right after and it was confirmed its including VAT.
@Gavin Conran: just checked it . Yep it was definitely 200 including Vat
200 euro a month is not going to do much for the bills that are mounting up..
When will it be available on the pre pay system ?
Next month as well ?
The Journal and all the media specifically said it is going to be 200€ INCLUDING VAT.
Why are they giving this to people who don’t need it? Better to put it it towards the €1000 payment for frontline staff, that they are now trying to backtrack on!
Maybe those who don’t need it could be philanthropic about it and donate it themselves?
@Mary Walshe: by that logic, what about the frontline staff who don’t need it? For the record I have no issue with this bonus to frontline staff (I do disagree with it being paid to admin staff though). I do agree to some degree with you though, I don’t think for example that households above a certain income should necessarily get this discount on their bill, but then you get into massive delays and expense in trying to means test it, all the while leaving those who really need the helping hand drowning, so I can see why, though not ideal from a cost to the country perspective, in this instance it’s a blanket payment
I’m not holding my breath. First we were told it would happen in February, then March now April.
Better deal if you can afford an EV?
I can think of some who’d – in real terms – benefit more than me from the top up. Is it possible to pass it on?
Take your time lads , take your time …. Ffs
Is it possible to pass payment on to someone else? Who might feel the benefit more?
@David Fleming: no
Sure its already neen negated by the increase in fuel and heating oil
The “hardship payment… that we are already to be so grateful for? Who caused the hardship? Pathetic, things must be going to get bad when they are giving people money they didn’t ask for.
The price of fuel will rise no matter what reductions in tariffs the Government plans to introduce . There will always be those who will take advantage of a crisis to bump up their profits . Maybe I’m being cynical but going by what has happened when prices reach a high in other areas suppliers are never too keen to pass on reductions to the general public. Better to keep prices as they are and put the extra cash in their pocket is very tempting .
have your say