Energy price hikes to heighten cost of living pressures, Consumer Council warns

The appeal comes from the Consumer Council which points out that over the next few days Budget Energy, Click Energy, Electric Ireland, Firmus Energy, and SSE Airtricity will apply large increases to domestic consumer bills.

The most recent of these price increase announcements, the Consumer Council noted, is from Budget Energy, which announced a 32% increase earlier this month.

Peter McClenaghan, director of infrastructure and sustainability at the Consumer Council, said: “This week all but one energy company in Northern Ireland will apply large price increases to domestic consumer bills. These increases will heighten the cost-of-living pressure most Northern Ireland consumers are already experiencing.

“We welcome the progress announced last week by the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) on the delivery of the Energy Bill Support Scheme and Energy Price Guarantee. However, even under the Price Cap, energy bills will remain hundreds of pounds higher than they have previously been.

“For those who can, we encourage consumers to try to reduce the energy they are using through adopting energy efficiency measures. This is particularly important because the Energy Price Guarantee, when it is implemented, will be a cap on the unit rate of energy; meaning you could still face bills over £2,500 if you use a lot of energy.

Extreme Pressures

“We are acutely aware of the extreme pressures felt across all households, including consumers who use home heating oil. We have been engaging with BEIS and the Northern Ireland Office to represent consumers and outline the challenges heating oil consumers are, and will, face without further support.

“We urge anyone who is struggling to pay their energy bills or to top-up their meters to contact their supplier for support without delay. We also remind people to provide meter-readings to avoid receiving estimated bills, and to check they are on the best tariff and payment method for their needs.

Consumers can visit www.consumercouncil.org.uk/energyvideos to view animations created by the Consumer Council, the Department for the Economy and the Utility Regulator that explain why prices are increasing and provide information on how to save energy in their homes. Consumers can also call 0800 121 6022 to speak to one of the Consumers Council’s advisors.