Allister slams all-island energy policy for electricity price increase
10 September 2008
Traditional Unionist MEP Jim Allister has expressed his anger at a 30% rise in electricity costs, announced by NIE today.
The MEP commented,
“NIE’s announcement today of what amounts to an unprecedented price hike of 30%, on top of an earlier increase in electricity costs of 17% announced just a few months ago is deeply worrying. These massive price hikes coincide with the pursuit of an all-island energy policy, in the form of the Single Electricity Market, which was launched last November by then Energy Minister Nigel Dodds. Clearly, Government’s current energy policy is deeply flawed, and will put households under even more pressure in coming months.”
“It is clear that Northern Ireland’s energy costs are accelerating at a much more rapid pace than in the rest of the United Kingdom, both for consumers and businesses alike. Consumers can draw their own conclusions as to whether the reality reflects Minister Dodds’ promise of ‘efficiency savings and enhance[d] competition to help minimise the wholesale cost of electricity, with the vast bulk of the benefits going to the consumer” –promises given by Nigel Dodds as he launched the Single Electricity Market in November last year.
A price differential is an extremely worrying trend, and one which the current Executive has allowed to develop under its watch. Clearly, Northern Ireland consumers and businesses have been sold a pup.”
ENDS
