THE GOVERNMENT WILL not oppose a Sinn Féin motion this evening which calls for a ban on energy disconnections and for protections to be introduced for those on pay-as-you-go meters.

Energy Minister Eamon Ryan is understood to be working on a new action plan which is due to be published in the coming weeks.

The minister has held a number of meetings with energy providers over the last number of weeks and is due to meet other companies also. 

When a government spokesperson was asked if the Government was working towards a ban on disconnections for all customers, including PAYG customers, they said they would not be drawn on the details of the plan which is yet to be finalised. 

So far the minister has met Electric Ireland; SSE; Energia; BGE; PrePay Power and Pinergy. 

Earlier today, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said in the Dáil that the Government has not introduced any plan to protect prepay customers from disconnection.

“This can and must be done. As the Taoiseach knows, some prepay companies already have bans on disconnections at weekends and on some public holidays. This ban should be extended to provide 24-7 protection for prepay customers.

“It should kick in now and run until the end of March. This is a simple solution to a big problem that affects hundreds of thousands of households,” she said. 

The Taoiseach said the winter moratorium on disconnections for all domestic customers for non-payment has been extended to three months from 1 December 2022 to 28 February 2023.  

Further, the moratorium on disconnections of registered vulnerable customers for non-payment has been extended to six months, from 1 October 2022 until 31 March 2023, he said. 

The CRU has decided to suspend the €200 gas meter exchange siteworks charge associated with a customer moving from a pay-as-you-go gas meter to a bill-pay credit meter for all domestic customers, added the Taoiseach. 

“That is welcome. The level of emergency credit for people on meters was increased by the CRU from €10 and €20. That is essentially an overdraft. That issue is under review in terms of any potential further increase,” he said.

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However, the Taoiseach said the Minister has met with the suppliers, as well as the,  CRU, the St. Vincent de Paul and with the Money Advice and Budgeting Service, MABS.

“There is a view that extending the overdraft or putting people further into debt may not be the best way to go. The Minister is having further discussions on that and keeping it under active review,” he said. 

The Sinn Féin motion, which the Government has decided to allow pass, but will not have any material effect, states that once a customer’s €20 emergency credit runs out, pre-pay customers cannot be disconnected by default.

The motion aims to ensure pre-pay meter customers get the same protection from electricity and gas disconnections.