More than €20m worth of energy credits returned to Government last year, new report shows
'There was a total of 56,908 credits which were unallocated throughout the scheme, due to the electricity supplier allocated with the credit being unable to identify an account holder for the respective MPRN,' the Department of the Environment said.
The Government received more than €20m back from ESB Networks last year from unallocated energy credits, a new report has said.
Just over €12.1m was returned to the exchequer from funding that had been injected into the scheme “in anticipation of potential newly energised premises” that was “ultimately not required”, according to the Department of the Environment.
Furthermore, 56,908 of the credits went unallocated because the electricity supplier was “unable to identify an account holder”.
This led to €10.4m also being returned to the Government.
Over the last three years, to help households with soaring energy bills, the Government introduced a series of energy credits that gave all households money off their electricity bills.
Budget 2023 introduced three sets of €200 payments for all households through the winter, with the most recent budget seeing this cut to three sets of €150 off electricity.
In its analysis of the scheme, the Department of the Environment said the credits were a “key measure in the significant Government response to address energy poverty and protect vulnerable customers”.
It said October 2023 saw a reduction of 66,000 customers in arrears on their electricity bills compared to the same month in 2022, while March 2023 saw an 82,000 reduction in arrears on March 2022.
“The credit helped those with debts of less than €200 from becoming further entrenched over the period,” it said.
However, the report also noted the funds that went unallocated from the scheme and returned to the exchequer.
“There was a total of 56,908 credits which were unallocated throughout the scheme, due to the electricity supplier allocated with the credit being unable to identify an account holder for the respective MPRN,” it said.
“Electricity suppliers were required to make every attempt to identify the account holder in such scenarios.”
In the first tranche of the scheme, about 1,000 Travellers households in local authority accommodations were not able to access the credit.
However, last year, the Government approved funding for this group and steps were taken to ensure they received the credit, the report said.
Under the latest scheme, households are due to receive the last of the €150 credits in this billing cycle.
