Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
A warm feeling as gas supplier cuts prices 20%
50,000 Ulster Firmus customers to save
AROUND 50,000 Northern Ireland households will see their gas bills fall from April 1.
Firmus Energy announced yesterday the cost for its “Ten Towns” customers will plummet by 21.15% – saving homes about £135 a year.
It said the price drop follows consultation with the Utility Regulator, Department for Economy and Consumer Council.
Firmus Energy managing director Michael Scott added: “We are delighted to be able to drop our natural gas prices again. This is more good news for customers in our Ten Towns network area. This saving follows on from a previous reduction of 8.77% in October last year and means natural gas is now almost 30% cheaper than last summer.” The Ten Towns area includes Antrim, Armagh, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Banbridge, Coleraine, Craigavon, Limavady, Derry, Newry and more than 25 other towns and villages.
The Consumer Council’s head of energy Paulino Garcia said: “This will be especially welcome for those in vulnerable circumstances.”
Belfast customers will have to wait to see if their bills will follow suit.
A CHEEKY dog has been looking for a new home for almost 440 days – one of the longest canine searches in Britain.
RSPCA staff are trying to find an owner for nine-year-old terrier cross Diefer after his previous one died in 2018.
Hayley Crookes, at the animal charity’s centre in Sheffield where the dog is being looked after, said: “We are heartbroken the lovely Diefer hasn’t found his forever home yet.
“He has been so close but it has fallen through... He has such an affectionate side to him as well as a cheeky side.”
Diefer wants to live in a home with no other pets or children.