Opposition leader Bernard Grech has promised a PN government will recalculate past utility bills as part of a pledge to make good for an estimated €50 million “stolen” by the government through overbilling.
A draft report by the Auditor General found overbilling by ARMS was costing consumers €6.5 million in “extra charges”.
Speaking during an interview on NET FM, Grech said even former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat had acknowledged the overbilling and promised to rectify it.
“This has been known for a number of years. The PN has been speaking about it for a long time. The party has investigated it by analysing thousands of bills. The Auditor General has now confirmed these findings”.
Grech said the government’s inaction confirmed that it was comfortable robbing people.
He contrasted this with how consumers who fell behind on their payments were faced with interest charges and termination of their water and electricity supply.
Grech acknowledged the exercise to recalculate past utility bills would take time, but pledged that all money “stolen” from consumers would be paid back.
Asked how he would fund this exercise, Grech countered that money could be saved by buying energy from the cheapest source, rather than the most expensive provider, which is Electrogas.
He said the country was being robbed €10 million a year because energy was not being bought from the cheapest source.
On Saturday, hundreds flocked to the PN’s headquarters to seek redress for the overbilling.
Grech said a similar event will be held in Sannat for Gozitan consumers shortly.
The PN leader said the party would also launch an online platform for those who wanted their utility bills to be analysed.
On recent survey results showing a dip in support for the PN, Grech said surveys were a snapshot of a moment in time.
He said the last survey had been carried out during a public spat between two PN MPs, in reference to Adrian Delia and Jason Azzopardi.
Grech also hit out at the public broadcaster for failing to fairly cover the PN’s message.
Asked about minister Carmelo Abela, who is facing claims of involvement in a bank heist, Grech said the allegations were "beyond belief".
He said Abela had not choice but to resign until his name was cleared.
On whether alleged Daphne Caruana Galizia killers Alfred and George Degiorgio should be given a pardon, Grech said that had the police force functioned well in the past, there would be no need for pardons.
He did however say he would “not exclude anything” when pressed about whether he would give the brothers a pardon were he to become prime minister.
Turning to COVID-19, Grech said Prime Minister Robert Abela had misled the people by promising a return to normality by May.
This had resulted in DJs and event organisers being given the impression that a return to business as usual was on the cards for summer.
Grech said he agrees with mass events being banned for now, as it is the right thing to do given the circumstances.
Questioned about cannabis use, the PN leader pointed out that consumption of small amounts of cannabis had already been decriminalised in 2015. He said the PN would take a “responsible position” on a government proposal to further extend the decriminalisation.
Asked if he would tolerate cannabis use by his own MPs, Grech said they can do what they want in their own time.