SSE Airtricity customers face increase in bills amid ‘market volatility’

Tariffs at Northern Ireland’s second-largest energy supplier will increase by 6.2% from August 1.

SSE Airtricity announced on Friday it will put up its standard variable household electricity rates, which will see a typical electricity customer’s bill rise by about £71.57 a year.

The company said the price increase is due to “sustained market volatility and higher wholesale costs”.

In a statement, Stephen Gallagher, the company’s managing director, said: “We understand this is unwelcome news. Increasing our prices is never a decision we take lightly.”

He added the higher wholesale market costs are “outside of our control”.

“We continue to do everything we can for our customers to limit the impact of ongoing volatility in the energy market,” he said and urged customers experiencing difficulty to contact them to “find a solution together”.

The Consumer Council’s head of energy policy Raymond Gormley estimates around 134,000 homes in Northern Ireland will see their annual electricity bill increase.

“While this is disappointing for households, the rise reflects the recent increase in energy wholesale costs,” he said.

Mr Gormley added: “We would encourage consumers to think about the way they pay for their energy and see if they can reduce their energy costs.

“Being on a standard tariff and paying on receipt of a bill is the most expensive way to pay for your electricity. Switching payment methods, changing billing method or even switching supplier may save you money.”