Energy Action European Fuel Poverty Conference

1. Fiona Hannon 13th March 2013 Energy Action European Fuel Poverty Conference

2. About Airtricity

3. About Airtricity • Largest independent supplier on island of Ireland • Over 810,000 customers across Northern Ireland and ROI in both the gas and electricity markets • Committed to competition in energy markets in NI and ROI • Committed to consumer protection measures • Customer Charter • Codes of Practice on Billing & Disconnection, Vulnerable Customers, Marketing, Complaints Handling

4. Assisting and Empowering Energy Customers

5. Assisting & Empowering Customers • Encouraging customers to engage with their supplier at an early stage where they are experiencing difficulty • Providing tools to spread the cost of energy and make bills easier to manage • Focusing available supports to assist customers in the most appropriate way • Educating customers in relation to their use of energy

6. Early Engagement • Essential to avoid customer building up debt and assists the customer in maintaining control over their bills • Provides the customer with avenues to make contact and someone to listen when they call • Allows the supplier and customer to put in place a payment plan if required • Can work with agencies acting on the customer’s behalf

7. Budgeting Tools • Encourage customer engagement and assist the customer in managing their account • Airtricity Budget Payment Plan • New tool launched March 2013 • Allows the customer to spread payment over 12 equal payments • Reduces payments in winter and increases in summer • Reviewed every 4 months to ensure payment is meeting use • Provides ability to budget monthly rather than having to meet unequal bills every 2 months • Gives customer more ownership of their bills

8. Budgeting Tools – contd. • Pay As You Go Meters • Widely used in energy industry across all jurisdictions including NI • Rolled out in both gas & electricity for customers experiencing financial difficulty in ROI • Offered to customers as an alternative to disconnection where debt has built up • Very successful in assisting customers budget as payments can be made in small amounts • Help customers to identify how much energy they are using as greater line of sight between usage and cost

9. Focused Intervention • Essential to ensure that supports are utilised to maximise the benefit to the customer • Household Budget Scheme • Provides financial support to customers of up to €420 towards energy per annum • Provided as unit allocation to customers of semi state suppliers with payment made directly to supplier ensuring the customer receives energy benefit • Provided as cash allowance directly to customers of independent suppliers. No guarantee that the customer will use the allowance for energy purposes • Need to have consistent approach to the allocation of allowances which ensures the customer receives full energy benefit

10. Focused Intervention – Contd. • Essential that customers understand how to be efficient in their energy use • Airtricity a signatory to Department’s energy efficiency voluntary obligation • Retrofit Programmes • Essential that any retrofitting work carried out puts in place measures that the customer can sustain • Working with the customer to educate as the retrofit is undertaken

11. Airtricity Community Fund • Targets energy efficiency measures in areas around our wind farms • Just under €3 million spent since 2003 • West Limerick Retrofit Programme • Joint venture with Limerick County Council and SEAI • Over €500,000 in measures implemented • up to 500,000 kWh reduction in energy use • 107 homes provided with targeted measures • Cavity wall insulation to reduce heat loss by up to 35% • CFL light bulbs to reduce energy for lighting by up to 80% • Installation or servicing of double glazed windows and doors to reduce heat loss by up to 15%

12. Questions?

13. Fiona Hannon 13th March 2013 Energy Action European Fuel Poverty Conference