SSE Airtricity has today announced it will increase its standard household gas and electricity prices from 1 May 2022. The price change is driven by record highs in wholesale energy costs which have disrupted energy markets across Europe.
This change will see a typical electricity customer’s bill increase by 24%^, while a typical customer’s gas bill will see a 32.3%^ change. This will result in an additional €6.50 per week on the average electricity bill and €6.40 per week on the average gas bill. Dual fuel household bills will increase by 27.5%^ on average, equivalent to around €12.89 per week.
The utility has also announced a range of customer supports in response to the cost of living crisis, aimed at helping those who are under increased financial pressure. This includes expanding its existing customer support fund by an additional €1 million, to provide direct support to customers in difficulty. Furthermore, SSE Airtricity will make a €1 million charitable donation to a trusted charity partner which will be used to support people who are struggling with the cost of living as the global markets crisis continues.
The company is keen to help tackle some of the root causes of fuel poverty and has announced plans to help combat energy inefficiency by providing up to 600 vulnerable customers with home energy efficiency upgrades. This initiative will help address one of the core issues underpinning high energy bills by directly tackling lower BER rated properties, providing warmer homes which will cost less to heat and run. This move directly aligns with SSE’s Net Zero Acceleration Programme, aiming to reduce Scope 1 carbon intensity by 80% by 2030.
Klair Neenan, Managing Director of SSE Airtricity said:
“We know this price change will be disappointing for our customers and today’s announcement will not be welcome news. Throughout winter, we have worked hard to limit the local impact of the global energy crisis by absorbing record high wholesale energy costs, hoping to see pressure on prices ease. Sadly, this has not been the case and energy prices continue to demonstrate sharp volatility and upward pressure. Regrettably, this must now be reflected in our prices.
“SSE Airtricity has a longstanding and continued commitment to working with and supporting customers in need. Last year, we began contacting customers who were experiencing financial pressure to provide support, including financial assistance, and establish a long-term plan to help them manage their energy needs. Today, in recognition of the difficulty being felt in many homes already, we are increasing our support services to include a further €1 million in assistance through our expanded customer support fund. In addition, we are making a €1 million charitable donation to a trusted charity partner to deliver additional targeted support to those who are struggling with energy affordability and the increased cost of living.
“As a leading provider of green energy solutions, we are committed to help tackling one of the root causes of high energy costs, through improved energy efficiency and heat retention measures for homes. As a result, we are committing to fund energy efficiency home upgrades to up to 600 vulnerable households across Ireland, at no cost to them. Almost half the energy consumed in a typical home is through heating, and by tackling energy efficiency directly we will not only cut household energy bills, but also reduce harmful CO2 emissions and help these customers take a step closer to being net zero.
“As always, I would encourage any customer who is concerned about their energy costs to please contact us, and we will work with you to find a solution together.”
SSE Airtricity is Ireland’s largest supplier of 100% green energy* and continues to offer customers discounts on their utility bills for opting to go paperless with direct debit and e-billing. The company also has a range of sustainable energy solutions which help customers make greener choices through initiatives for EVs, solar PV, smart home bundles, and retrofitting works.
Customers looking to contact the company can do so by dialing 0818 81 22 20 or visiting sseairtricity.com. SSE Airtricity will be contacting eligible customers directly in relation to its customer support fund. For those who may be in difficulty, independent financial advice is also available from MABS who can be contacted on 0818 07 2000.