Mr
Farren said: “It is important
that customers and future customers are not faced with continuing uncertainty.
The Phoenix increase comes on the back of a 30% increase in the autumn. This
means virtually a fifty per cent increase in the space of four months.
“While it is true
that wholesale gas prices have increased dramatically over the past year, this latest
hike of 17.3% by Phoenix will cause severe hardship on families at the height
of winter when demand for the service is at its peak. The installation of
Phoenix in many homes was meant to be an answer to fuel poverty and provide
people with a stable priced energy supply.
“Phoenix Gas is owned by a cash rich company, Terra
Firma, which should absorb some of the increase and not pass it all on to
unsuspecting customers.
“Gas will
quickly lose its appeal if customers face these uncertainties and that would be
disastrous given all of the investment made in bringing gas back into Northern
Ireland.”