Northern Ireland is facing a double energy bills hammer blow as SSE announces massive hikes in both gas and electricity.
The firm is today telling customers their electricity bills are to rocket by more than 35% while gas customers are facing a hike of over 28%.
SSE Airtricity says the 35.4% rise in its ‘residential electricity unit prices’ will come into effect on October 1. A 28.3% rise in gas bills will come into effect on the same day, SSE Airtricity Gas NI says.
SSE Airtricity Gas Northern Ireland says the tariff change means a typical household customer will see an average increase equivalent to around £0.96 per day. SSE Airtricity says the rise means a typical customer will see costs rise by around £0.91 per day.
They have blamed the war in Ukraine and ‘heightened geopolitical tensions’ which have ‘resulted in sustained and unprecedented increases in wholesale energy costs’.
SSE Airtricity says a ‘customer support fund of up to £21m including price promise which gives extra assistance to around 60,000 eligible customers’.
The ‘price promise’, they say, ‘holds their electricity costs at June 2022 levels until 31 March 2023’.
Klair Neenan, Managing Director of SSE Airtricity, said: “We know this news will be disappointing for our customers. It was hoped market volatility would ease, but the global energy crisis continues to impact gas and electricity costs for all energy suppliers.
“However, we are acutely aware of the impact this has for households and are working hard to help where we can. This includes our £21m support fund offsetting today’s announced price change for our existing financially vulnerable customers for the winter period. During the course of the year, SSE Airtricity has partnered with trusted local charities and delivered charitable donations of almost £2 million which will be used to support people who are struggling with the cost of living.
“SSE Airtricity has a longstanding commitment to working with our customers. Our customer support fund is aimed at helping customers experiencing financial difficulty through the current cost of living and energy crisis.
“As always, we encourage any customer who is having difficulty with their energy bills to contact us. We will work with them to find a solution together, including flexible payment plans, budget plans, and different payment methods such as pay-as-you-go options.
“While it is difficult to know when wholesale prices will begin to improve, we are committed to reducing our prices as soon as we can.”
Andrew Greer, SSE Airtricity General Manager (NI) said: “Unfortunately, the global energy picture continues to deteriorate, and this is not the news we want to be giving our customers. The war in Ukraine is significantly impacting wholesale gas markets in the UK and EU with the cost of purchasing gas remaining stubbornly higher than previous years, affecting energy suppliers across Ireland, Britain, and Europe.
“We know energy prices remain a priority concern across Northern Ireland, especially as colder weather is approaching. We would encourage any customer who is concerned or having difficulty with their energy costs to please contact us, and we will work with you to find a solution together. In the meantime, we will continue to watch markets closely. While it is difficult to know when wholesale prices will improve, we will pass on any reductions as soon as it is possible to do so.”
