SSE Airtricity has announced that they are putting up prices for gas customers by 39%, from 1st April 2022.
Although a further price rise was likely it is the scale of the latest hike that will shock people, and many will genuinely be worried about how they will be able to afford their energy bills.
What does the price increase mean for customers?
An increase of 39% is a substantial hike for the 186,000 SSE Airtricity gas customers across the ‘Greater Belfast’ and ‘Gas in the West’ network areas.
This will mean a typical customer with a credit meter will see their annual bill rise by £244. Customers with a prepayment gas (PAYG) meter will see an annual increase of around £241 per year.
The latest increase follows two price increases from SSE Airtricity last year. In April 2021, prices increased by 9.8% with a further increase of 21.8% introduced on 1st October 2021. Since April last year customers will have seen bills increase by 70.6% adding around £400 to a typical annual bill.
What SSE Airtricity have said…
SSE Airtricity have stated that the main driver for the price increase is due to rising wholesale costs which are beyond their control and make up a significant part of the final bill paid by each customer.
Andrew Greer, SSE Airtricity General Manager (NI) said:
“We understand this news will be unwelcome, if not unexpected, to our customers, given the extensive media focus on wholesale market over the last 6 months. The cost of purchasing natural gas on the wholesale market has reached record highs this winter and regrettably, a proportion of this must be reflected in our prices.
We would encourage any customer who is having difficulty with their energy costs to contact us, and we will work with you to find a solution together.”
I’m a SSE Airtricity energy customer…what network am I in?
SSE Airtricity is the regulated gas supplier across two network areas in Northern Ireland – the Greater Belfast Network and West Network area. As the regulated gas supplier in these areas the price increases have been approved by the Utility Regulator.
The Greater Belfast (Phoenix Distribution area) covers: south, west, east and north Belfast; Carrickfergus; Newtownabbey; Duncrue and Harbour; Lisburn; Carryduff; Castlereagh; Newtownards; Larne; and North Down.
The West Network (SGN Distribution area) is bringing gas to areas including Coalisland, Cookstown, Dungannon, Magherafelt, Omagh, Enniskillen, Strabane and Derrylin.
Get in touch with your energy supplier
As everyone realises, we are living in uncertain times. It’s important to get in touch with your energy supplier to discuss any payment issues or concerns and help manage your account. Even providing an up-to-date meter read can make sure your payments are accurate and cover your energy usage.
Finding a better deal…
At ‘Power to Switch’ we compare all tariffs and deals across all electricity suppliers to save you money. Switching is quick, hassle-free and means you keep more money in your pocket. You don’t even have to tell your old supplier you are leaving!!!
For more information, advice and support on energy issues visit www.powertoswitch.co.uk or follow us on facebook or twitter
* Annual cost is calculated using a typical annual consumption of 12,000kWh
