SSE Airtricity has announced an increase in its standard household energy prices from 1st April 2021.

The standard price of electricity will rise by 6.2% per week while the standard price of gas will increase by 4.5% per week.

That will see the typical dual fuel bill increase by 5.5% on average or €1.84 (£1.6) per week.

David Manning, Director of Home Energy at SSE Airtricity said: “Pass-through charges are outside our control and unfortunately have increased considerably – including electricity network and market charges.

“With our winter price freeze, we did everything we could to minimise the effect of these increases on customers and as we have done in the past, we will pass on any future decreases as soon as we can.

“SSE Airtricity has a longstanding history of supporting our customers and the communities in which we operate. Throughout the pandemic, we have worked hard to help our customers including payment plans, a moratorium on disconnections and our community fund support. As always, we’d encourage anyone who needs help with their energy bills to contact us and we will work with you to find a solution together.”

The Utility Regulator said the energy supplier had submitted plans to increase its gas tariff by 9.8% or £46 per year, which was accepted following a “detailed review” of its gas purchasing strategy, regulatory reserves and operating costs.

Following the increase, customers in the Greater Belfast licence area will see their gas bills increase to £514 per year.