2023 Government Electricity Credit
Get answers to the most frequently asked questions about your Government Electricity Credit.
What is the Government Electricity Credit?
The Government included the Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Scheme II in Budget 2023.
The scheme provides a €600 electricity credit allowance to all registered domestic electricity accounts in the Republic of Ireland.
Urban domestic customers (DG1) and rural domestic (DG2) customers automatically receive three €200 credit instalments via their electricity supplier.
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The first instalment became available on November 1st, 2022.
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The second instalment became available on January 1st, 2023.
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The third instalment will become available from March 1st, 2023.
I'm still waiting for my Government Electricity Credit from PrepayPower. What should I do?
Once the credit becomes available, we’ll apply it to your PrepayPower account ASAP.
This may take longer than expected because we have over 180,000 electricity customers.
But you can track the status of your next €200 instalment here. We appreciate your patience.
How can I claim the Government Electricity Credit?
You don’t have to register for or claim the Government Electricity Credit.
The €600 electricity credit allowance is automatically available to every Irish household with a registered domestic electricity account effective the following dates.
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First payment period: October 27th, 2022
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Second payment period: December 20th, 2022
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Third payment period: February 27th, 2023
PrepayPower customers receive each €200 instalment in one of two ways:
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We send our Classic Pay customers two top-up codes, each of €100, to enter on their pay-as-you-go electricity meter keypad. They can immediately view the electricity credit on their accounts by pressing 1-1-1 on the keypad.
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We automatically add the credit to the accounts of our SmartPay and SmartPay+ customers and contact them to confirm the payment. They can also immediately view the electricity credit on their accounts by simply opening their PrepayPower app.
Do I need to top up to get the Government Electricity Credit?
No. If you’re a Classic Pay customer, we’ll send you two top-up codes (for €100 each) on the three scheduled payment dates. All you have to do is enter the codes on your meter keypad.
The three instalments of €200 will be automatically added to your balance if you have a Smart Pay account (check your app). It will appear in your top-up history as Gov Elec Credit.
Can I still claim the electricity grant if I just moved supplier and switched to PrepayPower?
Yes. You can claim the Government Electricity Credit grant if you switched to PrepayPower between the first and second or second and third payments. But it will depend on the date you joined our service.
Here’s how it works:
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The first instalment will be paid by your supplier as of October 27th 2022.
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The second instalment will be paid by your supplier as of December 20th, 2022.
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The third instalment will be paid by your supplier as of February 27th, 2023.
Do I also get gas credit?
No. The Government Electricity Credit is only for residential electricity customers.
Am I eligible for the Government Electricity Credit?
You are automatically eligible for the €600 Government Electricity Credit if:
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You have a registered account with an electricity supplier in the Republic of Ireland.
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Your electricity meter has an ESB Networks Meter Point Reference Number (MPRN).
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Your account is classified as either an urban domestic customer (DG1) or a rural domestic customer (DG2) effective the following dates:
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First payment period: October 27th, 2022
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Second payment period: December 20th, 2022
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Third payment period: February 27th, 2023
When will the Government Electricity Credit be applied to my account?
The Government Electricity Credit is automatically applied to your PrepayPower account in three €200 instalments as follows:
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The first instalment was paid between November and December 2022.
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The second was made across January and February 2023.
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The third instalment will be applied to your account between the 1st and 7th of March.
Are you still waiting for your latest instalment?
You can check your payment status by filling out this online form
How will I receive the Government Electricity Credit from PrepayPower?
PrepayPower automatically applies the Government Electricity Credit to your account.
You receive the credit in four €200 instalments. And you can immediately see it in your PrepayPower app or on your meter display.
You will be paid the electricity allowance based on your pay-as-you-go electricity service.
Smart pay-as-you-go electricity meter
Here’s how it works if you are a SmartPay or SmartPay+ customer:
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We (remotely) apply the €200 credit to your account
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We contact you via SMS to confirm the payment
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Then open your PrepayPower app to see your new balance
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Check your top-up history for Gov Elec Credit
Classic (standard) pay-as-you-go electricity meter
And here’s how it works if you’re a Classic Pay customer:
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We text you two top-up codes (each for €100)
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You enter the codes on your meter keypad in the order you receive them
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Then press 1-1-1 to check your new balance
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Press 5 to see the codes in your top-up history
What if I'm no longer a PrepayPower customer?
PrepayPower has close to 180,000 pay-as-you-go electricity customers.
So we might mistakenly email or text you about the Government Electricity Credit if you left our service between the payment periods.
You can remove your details from our records by filling out this form.