Second energy provider promises to freeze electricity and gas prices for winter

Second energy provider promises to freeze electricity and gas prices for winter

A SECOND energy provider has promised to freeze the price of electricity and gas for the winter.

SSE Airtricity joins Bord Gáis Energy in committing to no price rises in the coming months.

SSE Airtricity said the move follows the company’s May price reduction, saving customers over €100.

Flogas said it is cutting the cost of natural gas for residential gas customers by 10pc from November 1. The price cut will reduce the average standard gas bill by €78 a year, it said.

It comes as the largest player in the market, Electric Ireland, hit customers with an electricity rise from this month.

And the levy on all bills to fund electricity generated from green sources went up this month, a development that will add around €50 to the average bill.

SSE Airtricity director of home energy David Manning said his firm has introduced a price freeze because it appreciates the challenges faced by its customers.

“If for any reason a household is having difficulty with their bills please talk to us and we will work with you,” he added.

And Electric Ireland, which has more than one million customers, announced a disconnection moratorium for its residential and business customers during Level 5, which runs up to early December.

It said an Electric Ireland gas price freeze remains in place.

However, customers with the company will pay an extra €35 on average over a year after electricity prices rose at the start of this month.

The combination of the price rise and the levy rise will see almost €90 a year added to Electric Ireland electricity bills.

And Pinergy, BE Energy and Iberdrola are also raising their prices.

Higher costs come at a time when winter is closing in, while thousands of people who are forced to work from home due to the pandemic will have no choice but to use more electricity.

Suppliers cited increased electricity network operating costs as the main reason for the price hikes.