Video: Protest at Dáil summit over ESB cut-offs and prices

GOVERNMENT must tell the ESB to stop disconnecting customers making efforts to pay bills, Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD said at a Dáil protest by Sinn Féin members today as the Oireachtas Economic Regulatory Affairs committee met with the Commission for Energy Regulation over disconnections and price rises.

“The ESB is a highly profitable and popular company which has provided a good service to Irish people over the generations. However, recently it has been acting despicably towards its customers who are struggling to keep up with payments as a result of the current economic environment.

“Customers have been cut of at a rate of 900 per month and, to ad insult to injury, they have been charged €97.61 for the pleasure of a call out and a further €174 for the disconnection and reconnection once the bill has been paid.

“This is an outrageous way to treat struggling families and others struggling to pay their bills.

“As a semi-state company the Government has an obligation to ensure that these practices are halted.  In fact, as the Government of this state there is an obligation on them to protect people from these exploitative practices.

“We are demanding an end to the practice of disconnecting customers who are making genuine efforts to pay their bills and an end to the exploitative disconnection and call out charges.”

Video at https://www.youtube.com/user/aprnonline

ENDS