'Massive' winter power bills has people 'worried sick'

Families in Laois are "worried sick" about whether they will be able pay their bills this winter and want a ban on cut offs to they don't have to survive without heat or light.

So insists Laois Offaly Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley who demanded in the Dáil that people need help and "they need it now.’’

Dep Stanley spoke during a Dáil motion tabled by his party that aimed to ensure that households in his and other constituencies are protected from electricity and gas disconnections this winter is welcome.

“The motion would introduce a ban on energy disconnections now and provide crucial protections for people who use “pay as you go’’ meters.

"This now needs to be implemented by the Government and the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU). 

"Households in Laois / Offaly are facing massive electricity bills this winter and people are worried sick about whether they will be able to afford them. People need help and they need it now,’’ he said.

The Chairman of the Dáil Public Accounts Committee said the Government’s plan to introduce a ban on disconnections from December until February falls far short of what is needed. 

"People can't wait until December. They need to be protected from disconnection now," he said. 

He claimed his party's proposal would also give certainty to the many people who use pre-pay electricity meters who face an automatic cut off as it stands.

"Once their €20 emergency credit runs out, pre-pay customers are disconnected by default. Yet, the government still has no real plan to protect these households. Our motion would ensure pre-pay meter customers get the same protection from electricity and gas disconnections. This is about fairness and giving certainty to people.’

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 “The Government needs to ensure that all households are protected from disconnection. Government must be upfront about whether they will implement Sinn Féin’s proposals or not. People in Laois / Offaly deserve to know if they will get this crucial support at a time of unprecedented crisis. Many households are facing severe financial difficulties," he said.

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The Taoiseach Micheál Martin said in early October that the Government will not allow people on pay-as-you-go energy meters to be disconnected over the winter.