Consumer body seeks review of energy price increases

The Consumers Association is seeking an immediate review of recent gas and electricity price increases announced by the energy regulator.

Spiralling oil prices for most of this year have prompted the regulator to approve a 34% rise in the price of gas next month and a 20% rise in the price of electricity from the new year.

However, the Consumers Association says these should now be urgently reviewed following a significant fall in the price of crude oil in recent days.

It is also demanding that petrol stations pass on the decrease to their customers just like they do every time the cost of oil increases on the global markets.

Spokesman Michael Kilcoyne said this morning that the increases approved by the regulator were unjustified in the first place and would leave Irish gas and electricity bills significantly higher than those in Britain.

He said he believed the Government and the regulator were conspiring to deliberately increase these prices in order to boost profits and attract more private firms into the market.