Ten Towns area of NI to face a further price hike - Firmus Energy

By Q Radio News

Firmus Energy customers in the Ten Towns area of Northern Ireland are facing a further hike in gas prices for the second time this year.

Prices will jump by more than 16% from May 3.

This will mean that the average annual household bill will rise from £1,293 to £1,504 per year.

It is thought that just under 60,000 households will be impacted.

Kevin Shiels from Retail and Consumer Protection says the rise is due to wholesale energy costs on world markets remaining high and volatile:

Commenting on the announcement, Utility Regulator Chief Executive, John French said:

“Wholesale energy prices rose rapidly in the second half of 2021, as global supplies did not keep pace with demand and as economies began to recover from Covid-19.

"Unfortunately, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has made this picture even starker. Although we are not directly reliant on Russian gas, it sets the price we pay.

“Following the Russian invasion on 24 February, Firmus Energy, in early March, provided the Utility Regulator with a submission to increase their regulated tariff.

"We have now finalised our analysis of this submission, following consultation with both the Department for the Economy and the Consumer Council for Northern Ireland.

"We have concluded that a 16.31% increase is now needed to reflect the harsh underlying market conditions.

“I completely recognise that this energy crisis is putting the most vulnerable in our society under considerable strain.

"I would therefore encourage anyone who is struggling with their bills to get in touch with their energy company as soon as they can.

"The regulatory process ensures that energy companies have clear obligations on how they act and how they provide support to consumers.

“We will continue to work with Government, industry and support agencies to do whatever we can to support consumers through this crisis, in one of the most challenging markets we have seen in our history.”

Further information on the support available to energy customers is available at www.nidirect.gov.uk/covid-19-energy-debt-advice.

Advice on saving energy in the home and information on energy efficiency grants is available from https://www.nihe.gov.uk/Community/NI-Energy-Advice.