Blow for customers as Airtricity hikes electricity and gas prices

Electric bill charges paper

Customers of energy provider SSE Airtricity have been dealt a blow as it announced a hike to electricity and gas prices to take effect from April.

Pinning the blame on a rise in external costs, it will see electricity bills increase by 10.5% and gas bills by 8.4%. Dual fuel customers will see their bill increase by 9.5% on average.

It said that the average rise for dual fuel customers will be equivalent to around 78c a day, meaning annual bills will rise by around €280.

Consumers had been warned that 2025 would not be a year where their energy costs go down, with wholesale prices surging again in recent months.

“SSE Airtricity is committed to working with and supporting our customers and increasing prices is always a last resort,” managing director Stephen Gallagher said.

“We have worked hard over the past few years to shield customers from the full impact of volatile energy costs.

“We know this news will be disappointing for customers. Network charges increased by around 20% in October 2024 and wholesale costs are 18% higher compared to this time last year.

“While we shielded customers from the impact of increased networks and other costs for six months, including the winter months, such regulatory charges are outside of our control, and we can no longer absorb these costs.” 

SSE Airtricity added that any customer concerned about their energy costs or experiencing financial difficulty should contact the company directly and they will work to find a solution.