Business

Gas prices in ten towns area reduced

Firmus Energy is reducing tariffs in the ten towns area
Firmus Energy is reducing tariffs in the ten towns area

GAS firm Firmus Energy has announced a 7.7 per cent reduction in its tariff prices in the so-called ten towns area.

The company said it would save the average domestic customer around £43 a year.

Firmus has 28,000 customers in the region.

It is the latest reduction in energy tariffs and follows Firmus' announcement that it would reduce bills in greater Belfast by 9.75 per cent.

The company's managing director Michael Scott said: "Along with our excellent customer service we monitor all costs and global wholesale fuel prices on a daily basis to ensure our tariffs offer the best value possible and any savings are passed on as soon as we can to our customers."

Utility Regulator chief executive Jenny Pyper said it was "great news" for Firmus customers.

"This is the third reduction in regulated energy prices we have seen in Northern Ireland in the last month. In the last year, Firmus Energy’s customers in the ten towns area will have seen their bills reduce by around 12 per cent. The main reason for the decrease is falling wholesale gas costs.

Enterprise minister Jonathan Bell added: "In recent weeks, we have seen the announcement of a number of electricity and gas price reductions and, while these will impact mostly on domestic and smaller business customers, it is likely larger energy users will also be seeing benefits from falls in wholesale energy prices on world markets."