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Dublin Live
Dublin Live
National
Sophie Collins & Rachel Curran

Thousands of households will be hit with energy hikes in coming days - and there is one step you need to take now

Thousands of Irish households have just a few days to submit their energy meter reading to avoid being hit with a huge bill at the end of this month.

Pinergy customers have until September 5 to log their home energy usage. This will ensure you only pay for what you have used.

An 18 per cent price hike is also on the way for Pinergy customers on September 5. Its daily prepay meter charge will also rise by 24 per cent. The daily standing charge will increase by 30 per cent. 27,000 Irish customers will be impacted.

Read more: Dublin TikTok chef gives one key bit of advice to save money on your food shop

Once the changes comes into place, the average customer will pay an extra €375 annually on their electricity bill.

Vulnerable families were told last week that there will be an extension placed on the moratorium for disconnecting people's energy supplies if they fail to make payments. This extension will begin on October 1 and will end on March 31 after previously beginning on November 1.

CRU chairperson Aoife MacEvilly said: “The CRU is acutely aware of the significant challenges that all customers have been and will be facing in the context of increasing energy costs this winter.

“While the current measures provide a high level of protection for all customers, our focus was to enhance protection and security for the customers in greatest difficulty, including vulnerable customers, customers in debt, and customers on financial hardship prepayment meters,” she added.

Additionally, all customers who are currently on the financial hardship meter - which is pay-as-you-go - will now be placed on the cheapest tariff available from December 1. As cost of living continues to hit households, those who are in debt will be given a minimum of two years to repay - but will also have the option to pay back the debt in a shorter period.

There is also a reduction in the debt repayment rate for customers on pay-as-you-go meters from 25 percent to a maximum of 10 percent.

There will be no disconnections allowed in relation to all domestic customers from December 1 until February 28, 2023.

Ms. MacEvilly then confirmed: “These requirements will remain in place for all suppliers subject to future CRU reviews, with the first of these reviews to be undertaken in summer 2023."

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