Laois residents caught in electricity number trap claims Laois representative

Local people getting electricity from a shared meter are caught in a situation that there is no way out of because they do not have a unique number assigned to their electricity connection and meter. 

So Laois Offaly TD Brian Stanley has told the Dáil in debate on on steps to address electricity costs. He highlighted an anomaly faced by some of his constituents related to the Meter Point Reference Number (MPRN).

It tells power companies where your premises are connected to our network. It is a unique 11 digit number displayed in the top right hand corner of bills from suppliers. 

However, some people in vulnerable situations don't have the number which presents problems in accessing the new energy credits that will help cover the costs of rising bills.

"We need to ensure that all households receive the €600 energy credit. This includes those living in mobile home parks and apartments that have shared meters with just one MPRN. This is important. In my constituency a number of people are resident in a mobile home park, some of them elderly. The owner of the park has an MPRN but the households, the people living permanently in these mobile homes, do not. They are caught in a situation where they simply have no way out and they need to be helped,’’ he said.

He said Sinn Féin wants to remove the arrears limit on prepay meters and to prohibit disconnections for households with prepay meters for that period. Roughly 340,000 households use prepay meters and they are often charged a higher unit rate for electricity.

"It is generally lower income households that use prepay meters.  They pay by the week and it is important that we protect them," he said.

Speaking during the debate on the energy credit Bill he said families are facing an unprecedented challenge this winter to meet their electricity bills. He said international affairs are contributing to that crisis but there are factors under Ireland's control.

He said Sinn Féin wants windfall tax to be introduced on the excessive profits of energy suppliers.

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"We cannot just wait to see what the European Union does. Without the introduction of a windfall tax this Government is simply writing a blank cheque to these large energy suppliers. As called for by Sinn Féin and as implemented in other EU countries, energy price caps would also give certainty to householders over the winter period, when they have their highest usage of electricity,’ he said.

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In the medium to long term he said energy security must be addressed and Irish State owned companies have a role to play.