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Electric Ireland announces 4% price increase on gas and electricity from April

It is the second time the company has raised its prices in the last year.

ELECTRIC IRELAND WILL raise its residential gas and electricity prices from April, the second price increase for its customers in less than a year.

The company blamed sustained increase in the price of buying wholesale energy as it announced its prices would rise by 4% from 1 April, ending a winter price freeze for its customers.

It means those with the company will pay €3.20 more per month on average from April, while gas customers will pay an average of €2.49 extra a month, based on typical residential electricity and gas customers usage.

The company said that it had attempted to keep its energy prices down, but had “reluctantly” been forced to raise costs “against the backdrop of much higher wholesale energy costs”.

“Electric Ireland is absolutely committed to keeping energy prices as low as possible.  Last November, while some other suppliers increased prices,” executive director of Electric Ireland Marguerite Sayers said.

It is the second time the company has raised prices in the last 12 months, following 6.2% increase last June.

Commenting on the announcement, Eoin Clarke of Switcher.ie said the period of reassurance for Electric Ireland customers was now over.

“Less than 12 months ago we saw Electric Ireland hike prices, and when combined with this latest increase, it means customers will have seen their dual fuel bills go up by a total of €179 come April which will undoubtedly put a strain on household budgets,” he said.

Clarke added that the company was the seventh energy supplier to raise prices over the course of the winter, meaning that the majority of Irish households had been hit by price increases in recent months.

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    Mute simon o flaherty
    Favourite simon o flaherty
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    Oct 21st 2016, 10:35 PM

    At least wait till halloween is over. Money hungry feckers.

    209
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    Mute GameOverMan
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    Oct 22nd 2016, 3:04 AM

    Aaaaaagh!!!! We need a new non religious holiday for this time of year. Something for everyone who is sick of this capitalist skullf@#kery. It should start no earlier than December and be a time to strengthen relationships with family and friends…without all the guilt and fairytales. Ok, yes…kinda like Festivous without the pole.

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    Mute Gerry Fallon
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    Oct 21st 2016, 10:33 PM

    Give us a break It’s far too early.!

    115
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    Mute Siesztrzewitowski Brzenczyszczykiewic
    Favourite Siesztrzewitowski Brzenczyszczykiewic
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    Oct 21st 2016, 10:44 PM

    @Gerry Fallon: Very few people in this country are still Catholic. Why are we still calling it Christmas? I don’t believe in god. This festival does not represent me.

    12
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    Mute Chris Ó Cinnseallaigh
    Favourite Chris Ó Cinnseallaigh
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    Oct 21st 2016, 11:08 PM

    Shup you.

    153
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    Mute Paraic McDonagh
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    Oct 21st 2016, 11:12 PM

    You don’t have to believe in ghosts to enjoy a good ghost story.

    117
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    Mute Mick Power
    Favourite Mick Power
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    Oct 22nd 2016, 12:06 AM

    The reason there’s holidays that time of year is because of Christmas. It’s the name of the holiday same as Halloween.

    41
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    Mute Gary Smith
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    Oct 22nd 2016, 12:18 AM

    Take the chip off your shoulder and take off that stupid hat while you’re at it ya muppet

    49
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    Mute Gerry Fallon
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    Oct 22nd 2016, 1:00 AM

    What are you telling me for? Just do what you want. Nobody cares whether you believe or not.ok

    43
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    Mute Karl Haycock
    Favourite Karl Haycock
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    Oct 22nd 2016, 2:00 AM

    Let’s all change our traditions because it doesn’t represent the one person complaining about it! Quickly everyone, let’s all call it “Annual Gift Day” from now on before the mass outrage begins!

    46
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    Mute nicola ryan
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    Oct 22nd 2016, 2:06 AM

    Mick, the reason there’s a holiday that time of year is because of ancient Celtic traditions. The catholic Church, only later, appropriated those ‘holidays’ changing the name by which they were known and re-branding them as ‘Catholic’.

    11
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    Mute Mercurial One
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    Oct 22nd 2016, 9:39 AM

    @Siesztrzewitowski Brzenczyszczykiewic: Does this mean you’re willing to forgo the Christmas holidays and work as normal for flat rate pay? Good man, your boss will be delighted with your progressive beliefs.

    13
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    Mute Kerry Blake
    Favourite Kerry Blake
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    Oct 21st 2016, 10:38 PM

    Seriously? Its October….

    101
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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
    Favourite Alois Irlmaier
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    Oct 22nd 2016, 3:38 PM

    @Kerry Blake: Not with the shops… It is Greedmas time.

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    Mute Kieran Stafford
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    Oct 21st 2016, 10:42 PM

    “we’re walking in the air…”

    63
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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
    Favourite Alois Irlmaier
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    Oct 22nd 2016, 3:45 PM

    @Kieran Stafford:
    We’re shopping in the air
    We’re buying in the moonlit sky
    The people far below are shopping as we fly
    I’m holding very tight
    I’m buying in the midnight blue
    I’m finding I can spend so high above with you
    Far across the world
    The shops go by like trees
    The rivers and the hills
    The forests and the streams
    Children gaze open mouth
    Taken by surprise
    Nobody down below believes their bank accounts
    We’re surfing in the internet
    We’re swimming in the frozen internet
    We’re drifting over wed ads
    Mountains floating by
    Suddenly swooping low on an Amazon deep
    Arousing of a mighty monster from its sleep
    We’re searching in the air
    We’re floating in the midnight web
    And everyone who sees us runs over us as we fly

    2
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    Mute Kieran Stafford
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    Oct 22nd 2016, 8:44 PM

    A lot effort put in there Alois. Was it worth it

    3
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    Mute Kieran OKeeffe
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    Oct 21st 2016, 11:10 PM

    Is it just me..or is Halloween being pushed more and more every year..at least give the witch bitch a chance to vanish before bringing in the bearded bollox..

    60
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    Mute Banana Rama
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    Oct 22nd 2016, 1:30 AM

    I wish we gave Halloween some proper air-time in Ireland. It has some very beautiful and poignant traditions about honouring the dead.

    56
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    Mute O-'Seán
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    Oct 22nd 2016, 12:10 AM

    Fup off !

    12
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    Mute marian doherty
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    Oct 22nd 2016, 9:44 AM

    It’s way to confusing for kids my little lad is convinced Christmas is next never mind Halloween! Even though our house is done up for Halloween, I’ve had to give him a timeline so he Understands better.

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    Mute Mark Gerard Lochlain
    Favourite Mark Gerard Lochlain
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    Oct 22nd 2016, 5:41 AM

    P!ss off

    4
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    Mute von
    Favourite von
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    Oct 22nd 2016, 3:19 PM

    For the love of all that lives, leave anything to do with Christmas out untill the 1st of December it spoils everything when its too early.

    3
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    Mute STARVIN MARVIN
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    Oct 22nd 2016, 12:12 PM

    I think it’s beautiful, ho ho ho

    3
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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
    Favourite Alois Irlmaier
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    Oct 22nd 2016, 3:47 PM

    @STARVIN MARVIN: Too early…

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    Mute Chris O' Connor
    Favourite Chris O' Connor
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    Oct 22nd 2016, 3:38 PM

    It’s beginning to look a lot like F**k this!

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    Mute Rose Shanahan
    Favourite Rose Shanahan
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    Oct 22nd 2016, 11:11 PM

    Saw Brown Thomas Window today…it looks daft.

    1
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    Mute Todd Hebert
    Favourite Todd Hebert
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    Oct 22nd 2016, 10:54 AM

    Any company that puts up chrimbo stuff before December 1 loses my business for at least a year.

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    Mute von
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    Oct 22nd 2016, 3:25 PM

    Todd i do the same . Everyone should boycott these shops.

    1
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