Power NI fixes prices for 473,000 households in Northern Ireland until April

An engineer inspects the Feeder Station at Sellinge, Kent, which provides power to the 25,000 volt overhead cables on the new Channel Tunnel Rail Link 07/02/03 - the first sections were switched on over the 46 miles (74kms) of new railway between Fawkham Junction, near Swanley, *..and the Channel Tunnel complex at Cheriton. When complete in 2007, the 5.2 billion CTRL will halve journey times from central London to the Channel Tunnel. Soon Eurostar trains will start tesing the line at speeds of up to 186 mph. 22/07/2004 Millions of people on low incomes could save money on their gas and electricity by changing the way they pay, according to a report today. The National Audit Office found customers who use a pre-payment meter for both gas and electricity could save around 63 a year if they paid by monthly direct debit instead. The report said, however, that most people with the meters were unaware they were paying more than other customers. Ofgem, the regulator for the gas and electricity market, has pledged to step up efforts to raise awareness of the savings on offer. Chris Young/PA
Electric prices in Northern Ireland are to remain fixed.

Power NI has announced electric prices will be fixed until the end of March next year.

The move effects around 473,000 households and means that the typical credit bill will remain the same amount at roughly £847 a year, and customers with a prepayment meter will also see their costs remain the same at around £826 a year.

The company said it was able to make the commitment after a change in wholesale energy prices and with the government's energy price guarantee in place.

In effect it means tariffs will drop by 14.2%, however, an adjustment in the government support will mean Power NI residential customers will not see any changes to the price they pay for electricity this winter.

Raymond Gormley, head of energy policy at the Consumer Council said: “It is welcome news that Power NI have announced a much-needed price reduction for its customers, however, the fact that it is happening at the same time as changes are being made to the EPG Scheme means that consumers won’t see a difference in their bills.

“We know that even with the Power NI tariff reduction and the EPG being rolled out, that so many consumers in Northern Ireland are still really worried about their bills. 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.”

Meanwhile, on Thursday, Electric Ireland announced plans to increase its residential electricity bills in Northern Ireland by 23.9 per cent from 1st Jan 2023. This equates to an increase of approximately £5.62 per week on the average residential electricity bill.

Power NI is the only domestic electricity supplier in Northern Ireland which is price regulated, as tariffs are only adjusted through a regulatory formula.

William Steele, Director, Power NI Customer Solutions, said: “We work hard to keep our prices as low as possible during these challenging times and we welcome the continued support that the government’s energy price guarantee (EPG) scheme is providing to domestic customers in Northern Ireland.

"The support scheme has been updated with a Northern Ireland specific discount for the period between 1 January 2023 and 31 March 2023, which will ensure that our customers will see no changes in their billed tariff this winter.

“We value all our customers and remain committed to helping those who continue to be impacted by the cumulative rise in the cost of living. I would ask, for any customers who are worried about paying a bill, please get in contact and we will help you.

“As well as working directly with customers, we will continue to work closely with our charity partners and other key stakeholders, to ensure the most vulnerable in our society and those who are struggling get the help they need.”

Power NI is also continuing to work with customers and charities that are impacted by increasing costs, with financial support to around 60 charity partners and community groups across Northern Ireland. That help has taken the form of Keypad top ups, aid to food banks and help for older people.

Power NI continues to engage with the UK Government on an Energy Bill Support Scheme for domestic customers and an Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) to financially support non domestic customers with increasing electricity costs.

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