Irish households are set to receive a credit of €200 to their electricity bills within days.
The energy rebate is being issued by the government in recognition of pressures on households due to increases in the cost of living.
The €176.22 credit (excluding VAT) will appear on bills in April, which means people will start seeing the rebate on their bills from next week.
READ MORE: €200 energy rebate: Exact date payment will be made, who will receive it and how to apply
This will continue to be issued over the following month or so, depending on a household’s billing cycle and electricity supplier.
Households do not need to apply for it, nor do not need to contact their electricity supplier, rather the credit will be applied automatically.
Some 2.25 million domestic electricity accounts are eligible for the scheme and anyone who holds a household electricity account can get the payment, including pay as you go customers.
As for renters who pay their landlord for their electricity, the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) is providing guidance to landlords and tenants, to ensure that the credit is passed to tenants.
For customers using hardship prepay meters, the €200 electricity credit will be applied over the course of three separate top-ups or vends.
These meters have a €300 credit limit, and the government credit could put the meter over this limit.
As a solution, the credit will be broken down into three smaller credits of €90, €90 and €20, which can be redeemed over the course of a few days – by the customer making a €10 payment towards their electricity bill.
Customers will be advised only to pay €10 on each occasion to receive their credit, and to allow one day between each payment.
Announcing further details of the scheme earlier this month, Environment Minister Eamon Ryan said: "The Government is acutely aware of recent increases in the cost of living and the impact of rising inflation right across the economy.
"Increased energy costs have played a significant role in this, due to rising energy costs internationally and, more recently, due to the crisis in Ukraine.
“As part of the Government’s package of measures to tackle the rising cost of living, we recently increased the electricity credit for all households to the value of €200. This will be implemented quickly.
"In addition, my officials and I will continue our efforts to ensure that we, and the relevant Agencies under my remit, explore every avenue to identify and assist those most in need."
Minister Ryan added: “Internationally, natural gas prices have been on an upward curve since the second half of 2020. This has fed directly through to retail electricity prices, as the wholesale price of electricity correlates strongly with the price of gas.
"In the long term, the way to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels is to expand our own indigenous supply of renewable power, and to invest in energy efficiency in our homes.
"We are working towards having up to 80% of our electricity from renewables by 2030 and we now have supports for homeowners, farms and small businesses to generate their own power and sell any excess to the grid. This, in addition to immediate short-term measures, is what we must do – to protect Irish householders from high energy costs over the coming years.”
READ MORE: One simple act will save you €700 a year on your annual food shop in Ireland
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