On Friday Electric Ireland announced it would be raising the price of electricity and gas for residential customers.
As reported in The Irish Times, Electric Ireland last increased its prices in August, when it upped the price of its electricity by 9 per cent and its gas by 7.8 per cent.
Now, the latest increase will add about €108 a year to the average household’s annual electricity bill.
The increase will also add €58 to the average annual gas bill while a dual-fuel customer will pay more than €300 more to heat and light their homes over the next year when compared with the previous 12 months.
Financial pressure
Commenting on the announcement, Marguerite Sayers, Executive Director, Electric Ireland, said the price increase is necessary to offset the unprecedented rise in wholesale energy costs this year.
“While we know any increase is unwelcome, Electric Ireland remains fully committed to providing the best value to our customers by offering one of the lowest standard unit rates in the market for electricity and gas, with an enduring discount rate of up to 8.5 per cent which reduces those unit rates further,” Ms Sayers said.
“We appreciate that energy price increases combined with other bills may put some households under financial pressure as we move into the colder winter months.
“We would urge any customer who has difficulty in paying their bills to engage directly with us, or with The Society of St. Vincent de Paul or MABS with whom we work in such circumstances.
“Alternative options available to all Electric Ireland customers are flexible payment plans, such as the Equaliser Plan, which enables customers to spread energy costs across the full year by paying a similar amount each month or taking a payment holiday.
“As always, our customer support teams will be available to assist anyone with questions or concerns arising from these increases.”
