Electricity and gas hikes twice EU average

Electricity and gas prices in Ireland jumped far ahead of rising energy costs in most other EU countries last year.

EU figures show that electricity prices in the Republic soared by almost twice the EU average in the second half of 2011. Electricity prices in Ireland increased by 11.3% compared to the EU average of 6.3%.

Only five other countries recorded bigger price rises. However, the average cost of electricity in all but one of those five countries, Cyprus, is the same or cheaper than in Ireland.