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We are encouraging owners of petrol-fuelled vehicles to check their vehicle’s compatibility with E10 petrol ahead of its introduction from 1 November.

Northern Ireland’s largest electricity supplier, Power NI is set to increase its tariff by 60.5% from 1 November 2022, impacting over 471,000 households. However, this significant increase will be offset by the UK Government Energy Price Guarantee Scheme that will take effect for all domestic energy consumers on the same date.

With the Energy Price Guarantee Scheme coming into effect on 1 November, Power NI consumer bills will be around 10% cheaper than current Power NI tariffs. The Energy Price Guarantee will be in place for two years and will apply to every domestic consumer’s electricity bills regardless of their supplier.

Peter McClenaghan, Director of Infrastructure and Sustainability at the Consumer Council said:

“Thankfully, the Government’s Energy Price Guarantee has helped avoid what would have otherwise been a very large price increase for Power NI customers on 1 November 2022. Instead, Power NI customers will experience a welcome reduction in their bills as will all other domestic electricity consumers.

Northern Ireland has five different electricity suppliers, all offering different rates, payment options and billing methods. Switching between suppliers or making sure you are on the best deal your current supplier provides could help reduce your energy bills.

Even when the Energy Price Guarantee is in place, energy bills will be higher than normal and some consumers in Northern Ireland could save hundreds of pounds per year simply by switching supplier.

To make the switching process easier the Consumer Council provide a free, independent, energy price comparison tool on our website which compares every energy tariff available in Northern Ireland to help you get the best deal.

The Energy Price Guarantee is a discount applied to the price of a unit of energy, not a price cap. This means your exact bill will still depend on how much energy you use. Therefore, we encourage everyone to reduce your energy use if you can and aren’t already doing so.”

Consumers can get in touch with the Consumer Council for free independent advice by calling FREEPHONE 0800 121 6022 or by emailing contact@consumercouncil.org.uk.

We are advising postal consumers to plan ahead for Royal Mail strike action which is expected to take place on Thursday 13 October 2022, Thursday 20 October and Tuesday 25 October 2022.

Over the next few days, price increases from the following providers will come into effect: Budget Energy, Click Energy, Electric Ireland, Firmus Energy, and SSE Airtricity. The most recent of these price increase announcements is from Budget Energy, who announced a 32% increase earlier this month.

The Consumer Council welcomes the progress announced by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) on the delivery of the Energy Bill Support Scheme and Energy Price Guarantee. However, we are calling for an urgent update on how appropriate support from the UK Government will be afforded to all households regardless of how they heat their home as heating oil is used by more than two thirds of domestic households in Northern Ireland.

Peter McClenaghan, Director of Infrastructure and Sustainability at the Consumer Council, said:  “The commitment from the Prime Minister that support will be provided to Northern Ireland consumers whether they use heating oil or natural gas is welcome. The Consumer Council is keen to see more progress in the development of support for consumers who primarily use home heating oil to heat their homes. This should be support over and above the additional payment of £100 to all households across the UK who are not served by the gas grid.

We have met with BEIS and the Northern Ireland Office and outlined the challenges Northern Ireland heating oil users face given the Consumer Council’s weekly heating oil survey shows heating oil prices in Northern Ireland remain over £1 per litre, more than twice the ten-year average price. The Northern Ireland Oil Federation has also outlined those challenges to BEIS.

These high prices combined with the requirement to make bulk purchases, exposure to a volatile global oil market, often inefficient boilers and a lack of consumer protection measures, particularly support for vulnerable consumers, create huge challenges for heating oil users which include many rural consumers who have no access to the natural gas network.

This is particularly worrying for Northern Ireland’s lowest earning households, who according to our research undertaken in the first quarter of 2022, have a discretionary income of just £29 per week.”

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and offer our sincere condolences to His Majesty King Charles III and the Royal Family.

Queen Elizabeth was a devoted public servant and an extraordinary individual who lived a life of service and duty. She touched the lives of so many during her long and exceptional reign and her loss will be deeply felt by many in Northern Ireland, across the United Kingdom and the world.

Sheila McClelland (Chair) & Noyona Chundur (Chief Executive) of the Consumer Council for Northern Ireland.

Click Energy, the smallest of the five electricity suppliers in Northern Ireland, has announced it will be increasing electricity prices by 28.2% from 1 October 2022, impacting around 26,000 customers.

Firmus energy has announced today, 6 September 2022, an increase of 56.3% effective from 3rd October 2022 for gas customers in both the Ten Towns and Greater Belfast gas networks.

This is the third time firmus energy have increased their gas prices this year, and this will impact approximately 62,000 domestic and small business gas customers in the Ten Towns area. This means the annual gas bill of a typical household with a credit meter will rise by about £847 per year, those customers with a prepayment gas meter (PAYG) will see their typical costs increase by around £806 per year.

The Greater Belfast tariff increase will impact approximately 47,000 gas customers. This will leave the annual gas bill of a typical household with a credit meter will rise by about £855 per year, those customers with a prepayment gas meter (PAYG) will see their typical costs increase by around £843 per year.

Raymond Gormley, Head of Energy Policy at the Consumer Council said:

“Of all the recent energy price increases this announcement is the most shocking. We are facing into a very serious crisis this winter and we are angry and fearful on behalf of Northern Ireland consumers. Until recent times, a household’s typical annual bill was lower than the amount of this increase. 

Once this price rise takes place on 3rd October, consumer bills will be around four times the norm, highlighting why the Consumer Council has been calling for much more support for consumers.

We know from speaking to consumers daily that many are choosing between heating and eating, and for some, neither is an option. It is really worrying to think how these consumers are going to cope over the winter months. Such high prices will make the coming winter miserable for many and life threatening for some.”

“These increases, mainly due to the sustained high price of wholesale gas, follow well-publicised rises in home heating oil, electricity and grocery costs. This is extremely worrying news for consumers in vulnerable situations and low-income households. It also means a wider group of households than ever are having their budgets stretched ever further.”

“We urge anyone who is struggling to pay their energy bills or top-up their meter to contact their supplier directly for help and support. We also encourage consumers to think about ways they can reduce their energy costs through energy efficiency and if possible, try to save money over the next few weeks to cover energy costs during the coming winter.

Raymond continued: “In the short term, the Consumer Council is working to protect consumers by encouraging Government to introduce further financial support ahead of the coming winter and clarity is needed as soon as possible about when the Chancellor’s £400 energy support package to all households will be made available to people here. We have appealed to the energy industry, to commit to continued financial support for a fuel hardship scheme for the winter ahead.

In the longer term, this situation shows the importance of the Department for the Economy’s Energy Strategy Action Plan, that aims to tackle affordability and move Northern Ireland away from its dependence on fossil fuels.”

We have lots of information here to help consumers be more energy efficient at home, get the best from their electricity or gas supply and save money.

Consumers can also get in touch with us at the Consumer Council for free independent advice by calling Freephone 0800 121 6022 or by emailing contact@consumercouncil.org.uk.

The Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) and the Consumer Council have launched a new initiative in time for the new academic year, aimed at helping students avoid scams and identity theft.

Northern Ireland’s lowest earning households have been left with only £29 per week, according to the Consumer Council’s new Household Expenditure Tracker.