Close to a thousand people are currently without water and electricity supply after accumulating huge debts which in some cases exceeded €20,000 in pending bills.

The matter was recently raised in Parliament by Opposition MP Graziella Attard Previ in a series of questions to Energy Minister Miriam Dalli.

It transpires that at the moment State utility billing company Arms has a total of 977 account holders with their supply suspended, including 27 cases whereby the amount due is in excess of €20,000. Furthermore there are 57 cases owing the utility company between €10,000 and €20,000 and  126 in the cohort between €5,000 and €10,000.

No explanation was given on how, these account holders were allowed to accumulate thousands of euros in outstanding bills, before they were cut off the grid.

The bulk of those who had their water and electricity supply cut off had dues of up to €5,000. 257 account holders had pending bills under €1,000, 251 were in the cohort between €1,000 and €2,000 while the rest (259) owed Arms between €2,000 and €5,000.

In her reply, the Energy Minister went to great lengths to explain that the suspension of the supply is a last-resort measure, saying that prior to such step customers are warned in writing and contacted over the phone. She also outlined the various forms a State allowances such as the energy benefit which are given to vulnerable households and those on low-income to easy some of the financial burden associated with the utility bills. Moreover, clients defaulting on their payments are offered a way out through an arrangement to pay the pending amount through instalments. It is only when these avenues are extinguished, that Arms cuts the supply.

From a separate reply, the Minister said that at present there are 2,820 Arms clients paying their outstanding amounts by instalments with the biggest number (1,515) have dues under €1,000. There are 358 paying an outstanding bill between €1,000 and €2,000, and 612 who reached an agreement over dues ranging between €2,000 and €5,000, 228 in the cohort between €5,000 and €10,000,  66 between €10,000 and €20,000 and 41 in excess of €20,000.