Firmus Energy customers in Derry to face another gas price increase

Around 55,000 households will be affected and means that customers with a credit meter will pay around £268 more annually for their gas while customers with a prepayment gas meter (PAYG) will pay £255 more per year. This means around £4.89 extra a week.

Dr David Dobbin, Chairman of firmus energy, said,“We very much regret having to increase our tariff however steep increases in global wholesale gas prices have forced our hand.

“This is a not a Firmus issue, but a challenge faced by every local and national supplier of gas and electricity all of whom, sooner or later, will have to further increase their prices to meet the huge upsurges which have taken place in wholesale energy costs.

“We know this is an unwelcome increase which will have a disproportionate effect on those of our customers who are the most vulnerable. We have been consulting with key stakeholders and will be introducing a support scheme to be delivered through a local charity which will offer targeted help to those most in need, especially over the winter period. The scheme will be launched in the coming weeks and will go live around the same time as the increase we announced today takes effect. If any of our customers feel that they require further support, they should contact us directly to see how we can help.”

Raymond Gormley, Head of Energy Policy at the Consumer Council said, “While the Utility Regulator forewarned that a price rise of this nature was coming because of exceptionally high global wholesale gas prices, it is going to be very challenging for many households to afford these costs.

“With the cost of energy continuing to increase, the Consumer Council is concerned about a potential rise in fuel poverty as some families may struggle to find the extra money they will now need to pay for heating.

“We welcome Firmus energy’s commitment to assist some of our most vulnerable consumers with the introduction of a financial support scheme and we encourage other energy suppliers to have support measures in place to help those customers in need. This is of particular importance given wholesale prices look set to remain high for the foreseeable future.”

There are a number of free resources on The Consumer Council’s website, including Switch On: A Guide for Home Energy Users, a guide to help people be more energy efficient at home. Customers who are struggling with energy bills or topping up their meter can contact their supplier for help and support.