Steep gas price hike hits households nationwide

Households are being hit with a 34% hike in gas prices from today.

The energy regulator agreed to the increase, the third in three years, saying demand is outstripping supply.

Bord Gais has received criticism from some quarters for introducing the hike, which would mean an increase of 84c a day for the average customer.

Labour spokesperson on natural resources Tommy Broughan said: "Last winter we had seniors and people on low incomes returning to wearing overcoats in very cold houses," he said. "The level of acute poverty in this society is quite high and rising… It's a critical issue and it's a major failure of government that this huge price rise has been imposed at this point in time.”

But Bord Gais insisted the price hike is driven by global market conditions outside its control.

Head of supply at the company David Bunworth said the increase is regrettable but unavoidable.

“These (prices) will be held over the next 12 months,” he claimed. “There will be no other price increases. We are very optimistic that in the next 12 months that prices will fall or at least flatten.

"There should be no more extreme price increases that unfortunately we've had to pass on to consumers in Ireland.”