Measures put in place by the utilities regulator last winter to protect vulnerable customers struggling with high energy prices are to be extended into this winter.
It comes as market monitoring by the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU) found a significant rise in numbers of customers in arrears as well as levels of debt.
The protection measures include debt repayment periods extended to a minimum 24 months and a reduced debt repayment level on Pay-As-You-Go meters of 10%.
They also include a requirement that all customers with a financial hardship meter be put on the cheapest tariff available from their supplier, and a requirement for suppliers to actively promote the vulnerable customer register.
A decision on the length of the moratorium on disconnections for all domestic customers, which ran from mid-December to 28 February last winter, will be made in September.
"The CRU market monitoring has shown a significant rise in numbers of customers in arrears as well as levels of debt," the regulator said.
"While the moratorium on disconnections provides assistance to customers during the winter period, the CRU is also concerned that it meant there was an extended period during which suppliers were not contacting customers in debt, which may also have contributed to rising arrears levels."
The CRU said while wholesale electricity and gas prices have fallen this year, they remain higher than historic norms.
It added that while it expects to see some pricing changes during the last three months of the year, any cuts will not be back to the levels seen prior to January 2021, when wholesale energy costs began rising.
As a result, it said it is important that customer protection measures remain in place to protect customers.
The CRU said an analysis has found protections put in place for last winter worked and so many of the measures should remain in place until summer 2024, after which a further review will be carried out.
"The CRU is aware of the challenges that high energy prices and in some cases, bill arrears, continue to have on customers," said Karen Trant, Director of Customer Policy and Protection.
"The CRU reviewed the impact of the enhanced customer protections last winter and found that these were important in assisting customers through a difficult time."
"We are therefore extending the key protections for this winter, when high costs and debt are likely to remain a challenge."
