Flogas turns up heat in energy market

THINGS are heating up in the natural gas market, with Flogas becoming the latest supplier to make a bid for customers.

It is offering an 11% discount on Bord Gáis natural gas prices to new residential customers who opt for the direct debit option.

Flogas said it is the cheapest provider of natural gas to residential customers in Ireland.

It said it will continue to be 11% cheaper than Bord Gáis until the next review of natural gas prices by the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER), set for October 1.

Meanwhile, Airtricity recently announced that consumers can save €210 a year by switching their gas and electricity supplier.

Airtricity is offering a 10% discount on Bord Gáis gas rates and a 13% electricity discount on ESB unit rates.

As Bord Gáis is the dominant player in the gas market, its prices fall under the remit of the regulator. It can, however, set its own rates on electricity and 350,000 customers have already moved to Bord Gáis.

Airtricity is targeting 500,000 customers by 2013.

The ESB is expected to announce its move into the gas market later this year, which would bring the number of dual fuel – electricity and natural gas – suppliers in Ireland to three.