The Minister for Finance has said the Government will agree a Budget package of targeted and universal measures to help households pay energy bills this winter.
Michael McGrath has also called on energy companies to cut their prices for domestic customers.
Mr McGrath said the fall in wholesale energy costs must now be passed on to households.
He was speaking after Fine Gael Senator Maria Byrne called for three €200 electricity credits in the Budget - which would be a repeat of measures that were in place last winter.
This call comes at a time when Budget talks are set to intensify ahead of Budget day on 10 October.
What is clear is that any measures will be funded from the windfall gains tax on energy companies.
The second piece of legislation underpinning this move has now been published.
It is estimated that up to €600 million could be raised through this curbing of windfall profits.
However there are calls on the Government to do much more.
Sinn Féin wants the Government to swiftly give the Commission for Regulation of Utilities an expanded role to protect customers from unfair costs.
The party's spokesperson on Social Protection, Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, is also seeking an energy price cap to give homes and businesses certainty.
The Minister for Finance has said the Government will agree a Budget package of targeted and universal measures to help households pay energy bills this winter | Read more: https://t.co/rsX6xSyHxs pic.twitter.com/XEZwrDtXG9
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) September 2, 2023
Meanwhile yesterday Energia announced a cut in its home energy prices.
The reductions will kick in from October 3.
Energia has 261,000 residential gas and electricity customers in the Republic of Ireland.
The move is the latest cut in energy rates by suppliers, as they all come under increasing pressure to reduce prices in the wake of falling wholesale costs.
To date Energia is the largest provider to reduce what it charges.
On Monday, Pinergy said it was cutting its standard electricity prices by 9.5%.
