Customers supplied by Firmus Energy will pay more from October, with the company increasing tariffs by 8.98% in the Ten Towns and by 12.5% in Greater Belfast.
The Ten Towns rise takes effect from 1 October and translates to roughly an extra £7 a month on the average bill. The Greater Belfast increase applies from 8 October and affects about 54,000 customers, adding around £12 a month on average.
Firmus said the move reflects higher global wholesale gas prices linked to the prolonged conflict in the Middle East. Announcing the change, Sharleen Winning, head of regulation at Firmus Energy, said the business "cannot ignore the impact the situation in the Middle East is having on the cost of energy" and that "this has left us with no option other than to increase our tariffs." She added the company had "held off for as long as we could" in the hope wholesale prices would fall and said Firmus reduces tariffs when market conditions allow.
The Ten Towns supply area covers about 77,000 households and small businesses and includes Antrim, Armagh, Banbridge, Ballymena, Coleraine, Craigavon, Newry and Londonderry, along with more than 25 surrounding towns and villages.
The tariff changes follow a separate decision by SSE Airtricity, Northern Ireland's largest gas supplier, which announced an increase of almost 19% from 1 October for its roughly 200,000 customers.
Leigh Greer from the Utility Regulator urged anyone worried about paying bills to contact their supplier promptly. "Suppliers will work with customers to discuss payment options and the support available," he said, noting that another rise in energy bills will be deeply concerning for households and small businesses already under cost-of-living pressure.
Consumer Council representative Raymond Gormley warned the rises could make this a difficult winter for consumers, noting that about two-thirds of household energy is used in winter months. "Think about ways of saving money, think about the way you pay for your energy and the supplier you're with," he said.
Firmus and other suppliers say they will monitor wholesale markets and adjust tariffs downwards should global prices fall. For now, households and small firms in the affected regions must prepare for higher monthly bills from early October.
