Energy firms join the Black Friday bonanza
HOUSEHOLDS could save almost €225 per year if they switch energy suppliers in a Black Friday-inspired deal.
For the first time in the Irish market, two energy companies have joined in with the Black Friday price-slashing, offering big discounts to customers to sign up with them.
It comes at a time when consumers have been hit by a series of price hikes in the energy market, with the companies involved blaming everything from supply issues to increasing energy costs for the increases.
Bord Gáis Energy launched a deal that will see people save an average of €161 on electricity bills, offering a 28% discount to those signing up through the Bonkers.ie website by 8am on Monday.
Meanwhile, Just Energy has a deal that will allow new customers to fix their gas and electricity rates for two years, protecting themselves against future hikes.
This will save households with average energy consumption on standard rates €442 over two years, or €221 per year.
Mark Whelan, head of communication at Bonkers.ie, said this is the first time Irish energy firms had entered the Black Friday market, and that he hoped it would drive down energy prices even further as other companies jump on the bandwagon in future years.
Mr Whelan said: ‘It is quite significant and it sets a precedent. Next year’s Black Friday could see a whole wave of special offers from Ireland’s energy companies.
‘Bord Gáis Energy and Just Energy have really stolen a march on their competitors with this and I wouldn’t be surprised if next year we see money-saving offers from all Ireland’s energy suppliers.’
He added that the new deals ‘are very good news for energy customers as we head into the expensive winter months’.
‘In the last few months, seven suppliers have announced price increases and the PSO [Public Service Obligation] levy has gone up, meaning that bigger bills are just around the corner for many,’ Mr Whelan continued.
‘But consumers can offset the hikes by switching to either of these deals or any number of discounted offers currently available in the Irish energy market.
‘Black Friday throws up a lot of gimmicky deals, but these offers from Bord Gáis Energy and Just Energy give consumers the chance to make some significant savings that will benefit them for many months to come.’
Electric Ireland became the latest supplier to reveal plans for a price hike last month, announcing a 4% increase on bills from February next year, which will cost the average household €34.92 extra a year. SSE Airtricity and Bord Gáis Energy both announced prices rises for customers in September, with new rates coming into effect this month.
This will cost Bord Gais customers an extra €82.68 per year, while households with SSE Airtricity face increases of €47 a year.
Energia, Flogas, Pinergy and PrePayPower also recently announced hikes. The average yearly bill for electricity users on a standard tariff is estimated at €947.12, while a gas customer on standard tariffs pays €755.21.
Mr Whelan said shoppers should consider all aspects of an offer before they made a switch. He explained: ‘The Just Energy deal isn’t necessarily the best on the market, but the real appeal of the offer is that it’s spread over two years while the other suppliers’ discounts run out after one year.’