Calls for ESB to show sympathy over arrears
St Vincent de Paul yesterday said it was “very concerned” over the fact that 30 homes a day were being cut off and unpaid utility bills were likely to get worse over the coming months.
The ESB said that cutting off consumers was a last resort, but necessary in a bid to recoup much-needed revenue for the power supplier. The number of ESB customers being cut off has risen by a fifth since March, when an average of 750 users in debt a month being left without power.
St Vincent de Paul spokesman Jim Walsh yesterday said: “We’re very concerned at this and we’re worried about the coming winter as well. We have approached the ESB and talked to them about this.
“We would ask all utilities [suppliers] to approach the issue of arrears with as much sympathy as possible. It was a bad winter last year and there were floods in a lot of areas. The costs again this winter are going to hit people with the additional electricity price and the carbon tax... people are in for a very hard time.”
MABS, the budgeting and debt service, also called for the power supplier to show restraint cutting off users.
The ESB said many customers cut off often had their power put back after short periods.
A spokesman said: “De-energisation or cutting off customers is a last resort. A large number of those are reconnected within 24 hours or shortly after that.
“We must try and retrieve the revenue for the product that we sell. It’s not that we’re getting stronger or tougher. But we have systems in place to try and work with customers to get their bill paid.”
ESB also said it worked with St Vincent de Paul and MABS to assist customers struggling to pay bills.
The company stressed that the cutting off of nearly 1,000 customers a month must be seen in the context of its total customer base of 1.5 million users.
Meanwhile, it has emerged that ESB is set to reduce its payroll costs in its network division by an estimated 5%, according to reports.
The Energy Regulator has told the power supplier that the operating costs of its networks must fall by €25 million, according to a consultation report for the next five years.
ESB last night confirmed that it was aware of the consultation document.
