SSE Airtricity customers are facing annual electricity price rises of more than €150 after it became the latest provider to announce an increase.
The company said it was raising standard variable household electricity prices and standing charges by 9.5 per cent from next month, a decision it attributed to “ongoing wholesale volatility” and the “higher cost of doing business”.
The move will see the average bill rise by about €12 per month, though domestic gas rates are to remain unchanged, and it is estimated to affect some 200,000 customers.
“We know this news will be disappointing for customers, increasing our prices is always a last resort,” said the company’s managing director Stephen Gallagher.
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He said customers concerned about their energy costs should contact SSE Airtricity and the company would seek to come to a solution with them.
“While investment in the grid is necessary, these regulatory network charges are outside of our control and come at a time of continued wholesale volatility which is leading to higher cost of doing business.”
Earlier this month, Bord Gáis Energy announced it was increasing prices by some 13.5 per cent and standing charges by 12 per cent from October 12th, which would raise the average bill by some €200 a year. It cited similar reasons to those set out by SSE Airtricity.
The was also the case for Pinergy and Energia, which recently said they would be raising standard residential electricity prices by 10 per cent and 12 per cent respectively.
Darragh Cassidy, of price comparison website Bonkers.ie, said SSE Airtricity was announcing “another sizeable hike that will add real pressure to many households already struggling with their bills”.
“It usually doesn’t take long for one price increase to trigger others across the market – and SSE’s move today underlines that trend,” he said.
He said major investment is needed in the electricity grid, but “we need to ask how much of this should be paid for by consumers in their bills”.
“I think more direct subvention from Government is needed,” he added.
Sinn Féin finance spokesman Pearse Doherty this week raised the issue of rising energy prices in the Dáil. He told Tánaiste Simon Harris hundreds of thousands of households would face price hikes in the coming weeks and the Government was making matters worse by refusing to provide energy credits in Budget 2026. He accused the Fine Gael leader of sitting on his hands “while energy companies are making massive, massive profits”.
Mr Harris said the cost of energy was a matter of “real concern” and insisted the Government has taken action to help. He said fuel payments would start from Monday for 28 weeks and more people than ever before were set to qualify for these due changes to the eligibility means test in recent years. He also said the 9 per cent VAT rate for gas and electricity has been extended, which was “lowering the VAT rate ... in the here and now”.
