17/08/2018

Concerns Raised Over Planned PowerNI Price Increase

Concerns have been raised over plans by PowerNI to increase its electricity prices by 14%.

On Thursday 16 August, the firm announced the rise will come into effect on 01 October and blamed fluctuating world fuel prices for the change.

However, Sinn Féin's spokesperson on Energy, Environment and Climate Spokesperson, said the decision to hike energy prices for the second successive year is "deeply disappointing and concerning".

"This surge will see an annual bill increase of £68 per year for Power NI customers, on top of a 5.6 percent increase in 2017, ultimately placing increased pressure on many people who are already struggling to pay their bills," he said.

"PowerNI has stated that the increase is due to rising gas and oil prices which have made electricity supply more costly.

"While Sinn Féin acknowledges the rising costs of energy production, we feel these issues could be partially mitigated if PowerNI took more steps to diversify its electricity supply."

(LM/CM)

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