Oireachtas Committee calls for energy price freeze

The Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment is calling for a freeze on energy prices.

The committee wants the Commission for Energy Regulation to defer price increases being sought by Bord Gais and the ESB.

It said the halving of the price of crude oil over the past five months and the economic recession mean the increases are unjustified.

Gas and electricity prices have already gone up by almost 20% each since the summer.