Around 11,000 households in Ireland have effectively no consumer protection for their heating bills, Dublin Live can reveal.
The Commission for Regulation of Utilities was appointed regulator of the district heating sector in December. However, the CRU has to finish developing a "regulatory framework" before it can begin protecting customers.
District heating is a system whereby residents of an apartment block purchase heat - not fuel - from a supplier. The heat is usually produced in a centralised location by burning gas or fossil fuels.