Energy firm SSE has announced a 42.7% rise in the price of its gas, which will take effect on July 1.
The company blamed “significant pressure” on global energy markets.
This rate change means that a typical home customer will see an average increase equivalent to about £ 1.02 per day. The price change will take effect on July 1, 2022 and will apply to all domestic and small business customers supplied by SSE Airtricity, they added.
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The Consumer Council says “the significant increase will result in a £ 372 annual increase in a household’s gas bill with a credit meter and customers with a prepaid gas meter (PAYG) will see an increase it costs £ 367 a year, bringing the average annual household gas bill to over £ 1,200.
Andrew Greer, Chief Executive Officer (NI) of SSE Airtricity, said: “We understand that energy prices are a serious concern for families in Northern Ireland and we know this is not the news our customers want. The cost of buying natural gas has remained at its highest level in more than a decade and has sometimes reached record highs in recent months.
“After our last price announcement, we had expected some market improvements; however, the war in Ukraine has intensified the energy crisis and exacerbated the problems facing all energy suppliers today.
“We will encourage any customers who have problems with their energy costs to contact us and we will work with you to find a solution together. In the meantime, we will continue to monitor markets closely and pass on the reductions as soon as we can.”
SSE Airtricity says it “continues to engage with key stakeholders around the administration of its £ 1 million charitable donation and will be in a position to announce the details of the charity over the coming weeks, with updates to follow on the company ‘s website “.
The news was announced on Wednesday when a 33% increase previously announced in its electricity tariff came into force.
The measure is the latest in a wave of large increases in gas, electricity and oil prices that has sparked a cost-of-living crisis.
The Consumer Council has said the latest increase in electricity will make the standard SSE rate for customers of credit and pay meters increase by £ 248 to just over £ 1,000 a year.
Rival companies have also raised prices recently.
Electric Ireland increased its prices by 30%, while Budget Ireland increased its prices by 27%.
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