Gas price hikes - Consumers face double whammy

SNEAKY is the only word to describe a two-edged gas price hike which has left hapless customers facing a double whammy.

Long-suffering homeowners are now discovering that on top of last month’s 33.8 % price rise for Bord Gáis, triggered by rocketing world fuel costs, they are effectively being charged twice over by the State-owned company.

Not content with getting approval from the Commission for Energy Regulation for such a hefty rise — an increase that remains fixed in stone despite a sharp drop in fuel prices since then — the state-run monopoly has also been allowed to pile a further 33.8 % on top of the existing standing charge for piping gas to users.