Electric Ireland to increase prices due to “unprecedented rise” in energy costs

A typical electricity bill will increase by over €9 per month.

Electric Ireland has announced a rise in residential electricity and gas prices for its customers, making it the latest energy provider to increase its prices. According to the company, residential electricity prices will rise by 9.3% while gas prices will rise by 7%. The changes come into effect from 1 November, 2021, with the increases equating to €9.02 per month on the average residential electricity bill and €4.85 per month on the average residential gas bill. Electric Ireland attributed the rise to "unprecedented increases in wholesale energy costs". “In Electric Ireland we do our very best to keep our prices as low as possible for our customers. Unfortunately, this price increase is necessary to offset the unprecedented rise in wholesale energy costs this year," Executive Director Marguerite Sayers said in a statement on Friday afternoon. Sayers said Electric Ireland knows that the change is "unwelcome" and appreciates that energy price increases combined with other bills may put some households under financial pressure ahead of the colder winter months. "We would urge any customer who has difficulty in paying their bills to engage directly with us, or with The Society of St. Vincent de Paul or MABS with whom we work in such circumstances," she said. "Alternative options available to all Electric Ireland customers are flexible payment plans, such as the Equaliser Plan, which enables customers to spread energy costs across the full year by paying a similar amount each month or taking a payment holiday. As always, our customer support teams will be available to assist anyone with questions or concerns arising from these increases.” Last week, Bord Gáis Energy announced a rise in electricity and gas prices for its residential customers, citing as the reason for the increase the "all-time high cost of energy". Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar told the Dáil he is "confident" that Ireland will avoid electricity blackouts this winter but that "nobody can guarantee it".