15% Price Hike For Firmus Customers

Firmus Energy has announced a 15% price hike for its customers outside the greater Belfast area.

The increase will come into effect next month and will affect 20,000 customers.

The firm has said the rise will be the equivalent of £1 a week for a typical household, but it would still be providing the cheapest natural gas tariffs in NI.

The increase in prices comes as a result of increased demand during the severe weather conditions in March this year, which led to wholesale gas prices almost doubling.

Michael Scott, General Manager of Firmus Energy, said: "We understand the importance of price stability for customers and for the past two years we have been able to absorb fluctuations in costs and wholesale energy prices.

"We appreciate that any increase in price is not good news for customers and it is with regret that we are increasing our tariffs at this time.

"The coldest March for over 50 years, with a prolonged snowfall, saw wholesale gas prices reaching almost double the normal winter price due to the high demand which depleted much of the UK's gas reserves.

"Replenishing these reserves led to high levels of demand over the usually lower-priced summer period resulting in wholesale gas prices staying higher than normal."

The areas where the increase will apply include: Antrim, Armagh, Ballyclare, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Banbridge, Bessbrook, Broughshane, Bushmills, Coleraine, Craigavon, Limavady, Londonderry, Lurgan, Moira, Newry, Portadown, Portstewart, Tandragee, Templepatrick and Warrenpoint.

Tariffs for Firmus Energy's 40,000 customers in greater Belfast, which were increased in April 2013, remain unchanged.

(JP/CD)