The Nationalist Party has requested the energy regulator to investigate bills being issued by ARMS, arguing that customers were being overcharged because the bill issuing system was being implemented badly.

The party also requested the regulator to take all the necessary steps to defend the interest of consumers.

Clients were receiving bills more frequently and losing out on their allocation of low-priced units. The law, the PN said, clearly stated that although bills could be sent pro-rata, tariffs had to be based on annual consumption.

The party said it investigated 100 bills and found that 80% of clients had been overcharged between €6 and €600 a year. It said it would continue to analyse bills and encouraged more people to take bills dating back a year to the ARMS headquarters for verification. 

Read: Households overcharged up to €600 for electricity, PN study concludes

In a reply, the government said it was working hard to find adequate solutions to the situation created by the former Nationalist government in the way bills were issued.

The government had already requested a review for solutions to be found that would ensure that the consumer continued to enjoy the best energy prices in Europe.

It reminded the public that they were receiving €90 million a year in savings through lower rates implemented in 2014 for families and in 2015 for businesses.

This, the government said, was what mattered as families were now paying an average of €25 million less.