MEP stands by claim that cutting off electricity goes against EU law

Labour MEP Edward Scicluna has insisted the cutting off of electricity supply to vulnerable families who were unable to pay their bills, goes against EU directives.

“Cutting the supply to just one vulnerable family is already more than enough,” he said after Enemalta’s billing company ARMS Ltd denied cutting off an alleged 5% of Maltese households since 2008. The company said the figure was 0.71%.

“Cutting off the supply is a trauma for any family, let alone vulnerable families which have low income, small children, and caring for the old and sick. We should know how many times this uncivil action has been taken by the state corporation [Enemalta] since tariffs for water and electricity increased astronomically and rendered many families energy-poor,” Scicluna said.

Scicluna has called on the European Commission to investigate revelations that Maltese families entitled to social support are being denied energy coupons to help meet their electricity bills unless they can pay their bills in full.

“Energy poverty in Malta is a serious problem that is getting worse. But at a time when we continue to have over 100 families being disconnected from their energy supply each month we hear that some of our most vulnerable people are even being denied energy coupons to help pay instalments of their bills,” Scicluna said.

In May last year, Scicluna asked if the government was in breach of the Energy Directive, which requires Malta and all other EU countries to look after the energy security of vulnerable customers.In response, the Commission said that it would contact the Maltese authorities for more information on the situation.

Scicluna said that since 2008, over 5,500 households had had their electricity cut off. “Since 2008 nearly 5% of all Maltese homes have had their electricity disconnected. This disconnection rate is very high for an EU country and it is unacceptable.”

But ARMS spokesperson Sean Barbara said that approximately 0.71% of all households had their electricity disconnected for non-payment of electricity bills in each of the years between 2008 and 2011. “Almost all these households subsequently had their electricity service reconnected in the period following this disconnection,” Barbara said.

The spokesperson also denied claims that households had been withheld energy coupons over unpaid bills. “Customers with energy coupons who cannot pay their bills in full are encouraged to set up an instalment plan; the energy coupons are accepted by ARMS Limited as long as the installment plan is honoured.”