THE economy minister has been urged to further explain his department's actions over the RHI scandal after it emerged that scores of applicants are running boilers 24/7.
The Irish News yesterday revealed the hours per week each of the Renewable Heat Incentive claimants operate their installations.
One in 10 fire up their boilers for between 145 and 168 hours a week – the equivalent of running them for between six and seven days non-stop.
In total, 76 of the installations that applied to the scheme are listed as running 24/7.
Each could typically attract more than £1m in taxpayer subsidies over the botched green energy scheme's 20-year lifespan.
The figures – uncovered in a freedom of information request – were detailed in a recent statistical report sent by Ofgem to the Department for the Economy.
Ofgem, which administers the north's non-domestic RHI scheme, provides the department with weekly reports outlining details including application numbers and their status.
UUP leader Mike Nesbitt urged DUP economy minister Simon Hamilton to "explain publicly what is going on".
"We now know that Ofgem were giving the Department for the Economy weekly briefings on the scheme, including which boilers were burning taxpayers money 24/7," he said.
"It begs the question, how long has Simon Hamilton or his predecessors been in possession of that information and what have they done with it?"
The fall-out over RHI has led to the collapse of Stormont's institutions and a snap election.
A public inquiry has also been launched.
