Energy grants: Government checking WSC data
The government has launched a process to check the number of persons per household for the purposes of the energy grant announced in the last Budget.
Finance Minister Tonio Fenech said during a radio interview this afternoon that lessons had been learned from the recent distribution of energy saving bulbs. That distribution was based on the number of persons per household as shown on the water and electricity bills.
However there had been some 7,000 cases where the number of persons shown on the bill was not a true reflection of the size of the household.
Many of these cases involved people living in rented properties where the bills were still issued to the landlords.
Mr Fenech said that in order to avoid a repetition of this problem, the data from the water and electricity bills was being compared to data supplied from the Public Registry. When there was a mismatch, the authorities would write to the tenants asking them to explain.
Mr Fenech said this process was expected to be completed by the middle of the year, when the energy benefits would start to be issued.
The benefits are aimed at easing the burden of the increase in water and electricity tariffs.
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Galea. L
Jan 22nd 2010, 07:20
"Mr Fenech said this process was expected to be completed by the middle of the year, when the energy benefits would start to be issued."
First of all what energy benefits? If the government had not increased the tariffs sky-high then there would not have been any need for so-called energy benefits.
Secondly, why do people have to wait for six months to benefit from these so-called energy benefits after having paid through their noses?
Doesn't Gonzi know that there are thousands upon thousands of Maltese citizens who are not making ends meet?
So how can they waith for six months to get their "energy benefits"?
And as everyone knows, Gonzi's and the pn's six months are years on end.
Lorraine Vella
Jan 22nd 2010, 07:18
is there somewhere one can report such abuses? i know of a household who claims that the husband's family lives in malta, where in reality they do not. thank you
Paul Barrett
Jan 21st 2010, 22:26
This sounds like another administratively time consuming and confusing system. Why not just use the same money as a rebate on the bill; thus the person forking out to pay the bill will be the person to benefit by the energy grant.
Those that have failed to register the correct details with the water services are doing it for some other (possibly underhand) reason, and forfeit the right to the grant.
Mike Farrugia
Jan 21st 2010, 21:51
Data from the public registry, social services, health department, enemalta, income tax dept, education and electoral office should all be merged and make life easier for all.
maria curmi
Jan 21st 2010, 21:35
WHAT ABOUYT THOSE WHO ARE STILL WITHOUT ENERGY BULBS VOUCHER FROM WSC WILL BE AGAIN WITHOUT energy grant BECAUSE WRONG DATA AT THE WSC
Ray Lanzon
Jan 21st 2010, 21:27
Why not check the data with the Electoral Register ?? Answer: This is not possible as the Electoral Register does not really show the persons per household - quite a number are not in Malta for 5 years and only return on the eve of a General Election.