Kilkenny consumers braced for latest electricity price hike
Electric Ireland serves approximately 38,000 to 40,000 homes, farms, and businesses in County Kilkenny
Electric Ireland has announced price increase for local residential electricity and gas customers from Wednesday, July 1, impacting thousands of Kilkenny customers.
Residential electricity bills will increase by 8%, and residential gas bills will increase by 7.7%, with a spokesperson for the body citing the conflict in the Middle East and a ‘significant upward price pressure’ on wholesale energy markets.
Electric Ireland serves approximately 38,000 to 40,000 homes, farms, and businesses in County Kilkenny.
For the average household, this equates to €2.66 per week or €11.52 per month for customers on the average standard tariff.
Residential gas bills will increase by 7.7%, equating to €2.25 per week or €9.73 per month on the average gas bill, based on the estimated annual bill as defined by the CRU.
“The conflict in the Middle East continues to drive volatility in wholesale energy costs, which have increased significantly,” Pat Fenlon, Executive Director, Electric Ireland.
“Last winter, we acted to protect our customers by reducing gas prices and holding electricity rates steady during the period of highest demand, while most other suppliers increased their prices. The current change represents the first price increase since October 2022; unfortunately, we cannot delay this increase any further due to the sustained upward price pressure on our wholesale energy costs,” he continued.
“We understand that many customers face challenges with ongoing cost-of-living pressures. Supporting our customers continues to be our priority. Electric Ireland remains committed to providing competitive value to our customers with one of the lowest Electricity Standard Variable Tariffs in the market. We have always sought to manage prices in a careful and considered way, with a clear focus on protecting our customers wherever possible.
“Alongside our pricing decisions, we are providing a range of supports, including access to Electric Ireland’s Compassionate Assistance fund, flexible payment options, and energy efficiency advice to help customers better manage their bills,” Mr Fenlon concluded.