UPDATED – APRIL 2022
Electricity customers will begin to notice the credit appearing on their bills between April 1st and June 30th.
In January, the Government announced that every household in Ireland would automatically receive €100 credit to help with the cost of energy bills
In recognition of the continued impact rising energy prices are having on household budgets the Government has just announced that the credit will now be doubled to €200. The overall operation of the scheme will remain the same with credit being automatically provided – expect this to start showing on bills from April.
People who are in receipt of the Fuel Allowance will receive an extra €125 in a lump sum payment to be paid in early March.
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Energy prices continue to be higher than usual, and it has put strain on many households across Ireland. The average annual electricity bill on a standard tariff €1,274, while someone on the best market deal pays €961. The government has decided to step in with help in the form of a support scheme.
The scheme will see every household in Ireland receive €100 for their energy bills, regardless of income and without need for an application. Even those with pay-as-you-go meters or additional holiday homes will receive payments.
Suppliers will update their websites with exact dates and details of the credit in due time.
See additional details of the scheme here.
Will there be help in future?
According to Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has not denied that there will be additional credit offered in February if energy prices remain high, but has expressed his expectations that costs will begin to drop soon.
He said, “At this point, we are working on a number of options to see if we can be of help to homes and families as we see energy prices continue to rise.”
Do you need more help?
There are currently other support schemes in operation to help with payment of energy bills, should you require them. See below for full details:
What else can you do?
If your bills have increased this year, we would recommend comparing your energy deals to make sure that you are not paying anymore than you need to. If you have not switched in the last 12 months, it is highly likely that you are. You can use our quick and simple tool to find out how much you could save and switch over just as easily.
If you are already on the best deal, we would like to point you towards our energy-saving blogs. They contain lots of information and advice about how you can make your energy usage go further and prevent unnecessary heat loss, too.