Firmus Energy customers face price increase

Firmus Energy has announced an 8.98% price increase for customers in the Ten Towns area and 12.5% for Greater Belfast.

The Ten Towns new tariff will be effective from 1 October and equates to an extra £7 per month on the average bill for customers.

In greater Belfast, around 54,000 customers' new tariffs will be effective from 8 October and equates to an extra £12 per month.

They said the increase was "due to the increased cost of gas on the global energy markets caused by the prolonged conflict in the Middle East".

About 77,000 households and small businesses are in the Ten Towns area which includes Antrim, Armagh, Banbridge, Ballymena, Coleraine, Craigavon, Newry, Londonderry and more than 25 other towns and villages in the surrounding area,

Announcing the tariff change, Sharleen Winning, head of regulation at Firmus Energy, said they "cannot ignore the impact the situation in the Middle East is having on the cost of energy".

"Unfortunately this has left us with no option other than to increase our tariffs."

Winning said Firmus Energy have "held off for as long as we could in the hope of a resolution that would lead to a reduction in the global wholesale prices".

"We have demonstrated that when we are in a position to reduce tariffs, we do so without delay, and we hope to be able to do so again, once the global markets allow this."

It comes after last week, Northern Ireland's largest provider of natural gas, SSE Airtricity, announced it is increasing prices by almost 19% from 1 October for its 200,000 customers.

Leigh Greer from the the Utility Regulator said if customers are worried about paying for gas or electricity they should contact their supplier as soon as possible.

"Suppliers will work with customers to discuss payment options and the support available.

"We recognise that another increase in energy bills will be deeply concerning for households and small businesses, particularly for those already under pressure from the wider cost of living."

Raymond Gormley, from the Consumer Council, said the increase hadn't come as a shock to him, but acknowledged it "could be a really tough winter for consumers".

"We consume about two-thirds of our energy in the winter months, so this is the time we're going to be using the energy and paying that bit more for it.

"Think about ways of saving money, think about the way you pay for your energy and the supplier you're with. Every little bit will help at this stage."