All Irish households to receive €200 electricity credit to ease rise in living costs

All households in Ireland will be credited a €200 electricity payment to ease a recent increase in the cost of living. 

The Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Scheme was signed into law by President Michael D. Higgins this month and is expected to benefit up to 2.25 million domestic electricity accounts. 

Households do not need to apply for the scheme or contact electricity suppliers; the credit will be applied automatically and will begin to appear on household bills from April. 

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, 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." 

The €200 credit is part of a wider package of government measures to combat the rise in living costs, with the elctricity payment almost double what was originally envisaged. 

Minister Ryan also expressed hopes for the expansion of Ireland's renewables sector to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. 

He said, "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."