Electricity firms to be questioned on pricing policies

Electricity firms are to be called to account for the difference in household bills between the Republic and the North, it was disclosed today.

Energy providers ESB, Bord Gáis, Airtricity and the Commission for Energy Regulation will appear before a group of cross-party politicians on Wednesday.

Fine Gael’s Joe McHugh said members of the Oireachtas Communications Committee will tackle the electricity companies about variations in utility bills.

“Those companies will be forced to explain why customers in this State are being forced to pay 14.4% more per year than customers across the border,” said Mr McHugh, party spokesman on North-South Co-operation.

“Businesses on this side of the border are struggling to compete because of these higher costs.

This price difference is completely unacceptable.”

Mr McHugh maintained that based on prices set for October, average ESB customers pay €686 a year, compared with the €600 average cost for NIE customers in the North.

He continued: “The Republic of Ireland has the fifth highest domestic electricity price out of 31 countries in Europe. And Ireland is the sixth most expensive country in Europe for business electricity costs.

“Now the Government is introducing a new 5% Public Service Obligation (PSO) levy on ESB bills with the result that small businesses’ bills will increase by 100 euro per year.”