Electricity Prices Reduced
NIE Energy has today announced it is reducing electricity prices by 10.8% for customers effective 1st January (2009), as a result of lower gas and coal prices.
This will reduce the average[1] household electricity bill by £63 a year, bringing it £90 below prices in the RoI[2] and below many countries in Europe such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Italy and Denmark.
NIE Energy Managing Director, Stephen McCully, said: “We are delighted to be able to pass these savings on to our customers.
“We made a commitment in our last pricing announcement that as soon as we were able to secure lower wholesale prices, we would pass the savings onto customers without delay. We are now delivering on that promise.
“We are very aware of the importance of electricity prices in household budgets and we take our commitment to helping our customers, and especially vulnerable customers, very seriously.�
NIE Energy can help people reduce electricity costs further by offering discounted electricity, through direct debit or Keypad payment options. In addition, working with a range of partners, NIE Energy can help customers maximise their income through offering a free benefits entitlement check. The company also supports free personalised energy saving advice for households, through the Energy Saving Trust advice centre.
Stephen McCully added: "At a time of immense volatility in world fuel markets, NIE Energy sought some stability for customers and secured electricity for the current tariff year in advance. Natural gas and coal prices then peaked, but have since eased. Nevertheless, opportunities in the wider wholesale electricity price structure have made it possible for us to reduce prices for customers.
“The wholesale price of electricity is largely determined by the price of gas and coal. Natural gas fired power stations account for around 60% of generation production here. Oil accounts for less than 2% of electricity generation, and therefore has a minimal impact on the price of electricity in Northern Ireland.�
Business customers
NIE Energy business customers will see a similar decrease to households, with exact reductions depending on their electricity consumption and tariff.
Help for Customers
Keypad is a way of ‘paying as you go’ for electricity. Installed free of charge, a Keypad meter means NIE Energy customers can budget for and monitor their electricity use. Keypad customers get a 2.5% discount off the standard price of electricity by pre-paying. Unlike some GB suppliers, NIE Energy does not charge extra for prepayment.
Keypad ‘Power-shift’ has the same benefits as Keypad, but as well as the 2.5% discount off the standard price of electricity, it gives lower cost electricity every evening, weekend and during the day Monday to Friday - in fact, at all times except between 4-7pm daily Monday – Friday (changes to 5-8pm when the clocks change in spring).
As well as being able to ‘top-up’ for Keypad at Paypoint and PayZone shops, there is now the added convenience of being able to ‘top-up’ anytime with NIE Energy’s automated telephone service, or online at
www.nieenergy.co.uk
Direct debit is another discounted payment option. Householders paying by monthly direct debit can spread the cost of electricity over the year. The level of discount has been increased to a maximum £40 a year (£10.00 a quarter). Alternatively, NIE Energy customers can pay the actual amount of each bill by quarterly direct debit and save up to £26 a year (£6.50 a quarter).
Working with a range of organisations, NIE Energy offers customers a free benefits entitlement check which, to date, has increased participants’ benefit claims by up to an extra £39 on average per week. For more information, visit
www.nie-yourenergy.co.uk.
NIE Energy customers can get free, impartial energy saving advice from the Energy Saving Trust on freephone 0800 512 012 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm) or email
ni.advice@est.org.uk.
To change to Keypad or direct debit, or to talk about paying for electricity, call the NIE Energy Customer Helpline Tel: 08457 455 455 (Home lines are open Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm and on Saturday 9am to 1pm. Business lines are open Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm). A tariff leaflet for the new rates is now available online at
www.nieenergy.co.uk
[1] 3,300 KWh annual consumption, incl. VAT.
[2] 3,300 KWh annual consumption, incl. VAT. Exchange rate £1 = €1.16. Average of ESB urban and rural Jan 09 = £612. NIE Energy = £522.
I think we need alot more than 10.8%