News

SSE Airtricity slash electricity and gas bills by 10 per cent

Gas prices are set to fall along with a reduction in electricity bills. Picture by Andrew Milligan/PA Wire
Gas prices are set to fall along with a reduction in electricity bills. Picture by Andrew Milligan/PA Wire Gas prices are set to fall along with a reduction in electricity bills. Picture by Andrew Milligan/PA Wire

HOUSEHOLD gas prices are to fall to their lowest level since 2009 after SSE Airtricity announced a 10 per cent reduction in bills.

The company, which is also lopping 10 per cent off its electricity tariffs, said it would save around £50 for the average electricity or gas customer annually.

The new gas tariff will begin in April while the electricity price cut will start from June and follows a similar reduction from Power NI.

The company has 210,000 electricity customers making it the second largest provider in Northern Ireland.

Airtricity supplies gas to around 135,000 home and small businesses in the greater Belfast area and its tariffs are regulated by the north's energy watchdog.

The company's managing director Stephen Wheeler said: "This is the third successive price cut by SSE Airtricity in just over 12 months, meaning in the same period we’ve delivered energy cost savings of £260 for our household energy customers. That’s making a difference where it matters most for our customers, in the household purse.”

Utility Regulator Jenny Pyper said the reduction came off the back of a dramatic drop in the cost of wholesale gas, down 44 per cent in the past year.

"As these costs make up around half of the gas tariff, this decrease is reflected in the 24 per cent fall in tariffs over the same period," she said.

Northern Ireland's other gas supplier Firmus Energy is subject to regulation in the so-called ten towns area and is expected to announce a reduction in the coming weeks.