CRU audit strengthens protections and services for energy customers
• Audit identifies areas where electricity suppliers can improve billing practices and highlights areas of good practice in the market • All 12 electricity suppliers were reviewed under the first audit and a sample of 300 customer accounts assessed • CRU’s proactive regulatory oversight designed to deliver improved outcomes for consumers
The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) has today published the findings of a nationwide audit of electricity billing practices for households.
The audit is part of the regulatory oversight to strengthen consumer protections and drive higher standards across Ireland's energy sector.
The review identified several instances of non-compliance by electricity suppliers across key customer protection measures. As a result of the findings, suppliers have taken action to address the issues.
- Bord Gáis Energy: Enhanced reporting and proactive customer notification processes for delayed billing, alongside improvements to refund monitoring and automation.
- SSE Airtricity: Rolled out a new process to proactively communicate with customers affected by significant billing delays.
- Flogas: Introduced a new CRM system to support more automated refund processing and strengthened oversight of billing performance through enhanced management reporting.
- Community Power: Revised internal processes to ensure refunds are processed within required timelines and reduce the risk of recurrence.
- Pinergy: Rectified a system issue associated with a newly introduced feature that had contributed to delays in issuing final bills.
- Arden Energy: Updated bill templates to address gaps identified during the review and strengthened processes relating to vulnerable customer protections.
These measures are expected to improve customer outcomes, strengthen compliance and reduce the risk of recurrence.
The billing audit was conducted with an independent auditor, Forvis Mazars, and examined the practices of 12 domestic electricity suppliers.
Alongside the compliance findings, the audit highlighted a range of positive practices across the sector, including electricity suppliers providing proactive engagement with customers to encourage meter readings, measures to reduce the risk of large catch-up bills, and robust account review processes.
All suppliers were deemed fully complaint with obligations under the Vulnerable Customer Code of Practice, with supports in place such as communication methods for customers with visual impairments and hearing loss where applicable or providing billing information free of charge.
While the CRU consistently reviews supplier billing practices and engages with suppliers as part of its ongoing monitoring role, this audit was the first of its kind.
It forms part of the CRU's ongoing programme of compliance monitoring and enforcement to identify issues, secure corrective action where problems arise and strengthen protections that give consumers greater confidence in the energy market.
The audit comes as the CRU's newly published Compliance and Enforcement Annual Report 2025 highlights a year of significant regulatory activity.
During 2025, the CRU completed ten audits and spot checks across regulated sectors and concluded four formal investigations into supplier non-compliance, identifying issues affecting thousands of consumers.
Commenting on the publication, Commission Chairperson Fergal Mulligan said: "The billing audit has identified areas where improvements by suppliers were required. We welcome the actions already taken by suppliers in response to the audit findings and expect all identified issues to be addressed promptly.
"This first audit is an important addition to our regulatory toolbox and will act as a benchmark for future reviews and demonstrates the value of proactive oversight to improve outcomes for consumers. Billing remains a challenge for many customers, and we will continue to engage with industry to improve the transparency and effectiveness of the billing process.
"The Compliance and Enforcement Annual Report also demonstrates how our regulatory interventions are delivering tangible benefits for consumers, including compensation, improved processes and stronger protections across the energy sector."
The CRU will now engage with suppliers to ensure all of the identified non-compliances are appropriately addressed and will continue its programme of audits, compliance monitoring and enforcement activity across the energy market.
Links to both reports are available here and here.
ENDS