The Energy Regulator has welcomed the move by the ESB, Bord Gáis and Airtricity to suspend disconnections during the current bad weather.
Earlier this year, it emerged that 2,500 people a month were being disconnected from gas and electricity during the summer.
New figures show more than 700 people were disconnected last month.
Last year, the St Vincent de Paul spent €5.8m helping people pay their energy bills.
With the cold spell due to last into next week, the ESB, Bord Gáis and Airtricity announced that they are suspending disconnections during the bad weather and also during the Christmas holiday period.
Under a code of practice, imposed by the Regulator, they also cannot disconnect elderly customers between November and March.
The move has been welcomed by St Vincent de Paul and Energy Regulator Michael Tutty who again urged customers in difficulty to contact their suppliers as soon as possible.
The regulator recently announced that disconnection and reconnection fees are to be halved for consumers to around €50 each from January.
The regulator is also reviewing the actual costs involved in disconnection and reconnection by Bord Gáis and ESB networks to see if these costs can be brought down further.
