Firmus Energy announces natural gas price drop

A 7.56% price drop has been announced by Northern Ireland's largest supplier of natural gas.

Firmus Energy will reduce its regulated tariff in the Ten Towns network by 7.56% by October 1.

The move comes after a formal tariff review of the three regulated energy suppliers - Firmus Energy (Ten Towns area), SSE Airtricity Gas Supply (Greater Belfast and Western areas) and Power NI by the Utility Regulator.

John French, Utility Regulator chief executive, said they have now completed their formal review of the costs in providing gas and electricity to homes and businesses across Northern Ireland.

"This has concluded that a 7.56% decrease is needed to Firmus Energy's Ten Towns domestic gas tariff, and that no further changes are needed to SSE Airtricity Gas Supply's regulated gas tariff and Power NI's domestic electricity tariff from 1 October 2023," he said.

"This means that the average domestic gas bill in Firmus Energy's Ten Towns licence area will decrease by approximately £112 per year.

"We will continue to actively monitor wholesale energy and network costs and will ensure any falls in costs are passed through to customers at the earliest opportunity."

Raymond Gormley, head of energy policy at the Consumer Council said energy prices remain very expensive in NI, and some households will need support this winter.

"We urge anyone who is struggling to pay their energy bills or top up their meters to contact their supplier directly for help and support," he said.

"We also encourage consumers to think about ways they can reduce their energy costs through energy efficiency and if possible, try to save money over the next few weeks to cover energy costs when the weather eventually gets colder during winter.

"In the short term, the Consumer Council will continue to work closely with the Utility Regulator on maintaining the consumer energy charter (from last winter) with the voluntary co-operation of local energy suppliers and government departments.

"We are also continually liaising with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) to put forward the argument that support will be required by some Northern Ireland households during the winter ahead."

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