Farmers, householders and landowners who signed up for the Micro-generation Support Scheme are still “in the dark” in relation to when they will receive payment or credit, according to a TD.
The scheme, approved by the government back in December 2021, aims to help homes and businesses to develop renewable energy for self-consumption, along with the introduction of payments or credits for excess electricity exported to the grid.
However, deputy Carol Nolan has said that she has been contacted by people who are becoming increasingly frustrated by the inability or unwillingness of electricity suppliers to indicate a payment start date.
Deputy Nolan said that she was reassured by Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan in April that eligible customers can expect a payment or credit from their suppliers from July 1, depending on their billing cycle.
“I have said it before and I can only say it again; if Minister Ryan and his department cannot get a handle on the effective implementation of small schemes such as this one, then what confidence can anyone have that they will be supported if they go to the expense of buying into the renewable agenda,” Deputy Nolan said.
“As I understand it, major suppliers like Electric Ireland are telling customers they are having difficulty linking household and farms to individual micro-generation infrastructure because of delays in receiving supporting documentation from ESB Networks.”
“Yet when the same customers go to ESB Networks and ask for confirmation that that their information has been received, ESB is confirming to them [they] have indeed [been] processed and sent the information to Electric Ireland, in some cases as far back as May 2021,” the Independent TD for Laois Offaly claimed.
“Something has clearly gone wrong with the entire scheme. Minister Ryan must directly intervene with both suppliers and ESB Networks to try and resolve this matter as soon as possible.
“It is totally unacceptable for households and farms who bought into this scheme in good faith to be continually kicked from pillar to post,” Deputy Nolan concluded.