Gas prices for around 200,000 domestic and small business SSE Airtricity customers in Belfast and the west of Northern Ireland will increase by an average of £174 per year starting October 1. The 19.2% rise is largely driven by a global surge in energy costs linked to ongoing conflict in the Middle East. So we can thank Mr. Trump.
If you are like myself and you are on a keypad metre for gas, I would strongly advise you to top it up as much as you can before October. You can put as much money on the meter as you like. If you’ve got the spare cash it’s definitely worth putting a few hundred quid on but irritatingly you can only do it £49 at a time. It will require a few trips to your local shop.
For those of you with oil home heating, there is a £100 support scheme you can apply for if you meet the criteria from next month.
Applicants will need to meet one of the following benefit entitlement or income criteria:
- In receipt of an income-related benefit (Universal Credit, Pension Credit or income-related Employment and Support Allowance)
- In receipt of a disability benefit (Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance, Armed Forces Independence Payment, the Constant Attendance Allowance element of Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, the Constant Attendance Allowance or Mobility Supplement element of the War Pension Scheme)
- A single person or a couple (including pensioners) with a joint annual income that equates to less than £30,000 (net of allowable deductions).
Managing Editor of Slugger O’Toole. I help to manage Slugger by taking care of the site as well as running our live events. My background is in business, marketing and IT. My politics tend towards middle-of-the-road pragmatism; I am not a member of any political party. When not stuck in front of a screen, I am a parkrun Run Director.
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