Call for Bord Gais to defer price hike in light of staff payout

The Consumers Association of Ireland wants Bord Gais to defer a price hike in light of a €55m payout to workers.

It emerged yesterday that 1,000 workers at the utility are to get average payouts of €55,000 as part of the process of selling Bord Gais.

The company is planning to impose a 1.5% increase to customers' utitlity bills from next month.

The CAI's Dermot Jewell says it is "not right".