NI gas provider cuts prices by 15%

A major Northern Ireland gas supplier is slashing prices by nearly 15 per cent, it announced today.

The move by Phoenix Natural Gas means the average domestic bill of its 95,000 domestic customers will fall by £89 (€131) a year - with possible further reductions on the way.

Its lowered tariffs, which will apply from March 31st, are due to a fall in wholesale costs.

Last week a rival company claimed its customers had enjoyed prices 23 per cent less than those of Phoenix Gas.

Natural gas provider Firmus Energy said its customers have already avoided the sharp increases in prices imposed by other providers because of a price cap it introduced in January last year for two years. It is now being extended until at least January 2009.