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The Consumer Council today welcomed the Utility Regulator’s decision to review Phoenix’s gas prices and urged him to swiftly establish if and when it is possible to lower gas bills in view of the recent fall in wholesale energy costs. They also acknowledged the Utility Regulator’s commitment to examine whether an electricity price review is justified at this time. However they warned that while these reviews are taking place vulnerable households struggling to pay this year’s higher energy prices are in danger of falling into fuel poverty.

Commenting on today’s news that ASDA has again cut the price of petrol and diesel at their stations across Northern Ireland, Eleanor Gill, Chief Executive of the Consumer Council said:

The Consumer Council today welcomed Asda setting a new benchmark by dropping petrol prices to under £1 per litre for the first time in 12 months. It applauded Asda’s policy of providing all its customers with their best price and once again called on Tesco and Sainsburys to follow suit. While this lower price is good news, analysis by the Consumer Council shows that petrol and diesel prices could be even lower at supermarkets and independent filling stations.

The Consumer Council is demanding an explanation why consumers are paying so much more for diesel than petrol here. This time last year the average price of a litre of petrol and diesel was almost neck and neck, and now there is a massive 13 pence difference between the two. Consumers need to know why.