Power NI, Northern Ireland's biggest electricity supplier, is to increase its tariff for residential customers by 6.2% from 1 July 2026, the Consumer Council announced on 29 May 20261. The increase applies to customers with a credit meter1.
The Consumer Council said a typical Power NI customer with a credit meter will see the change reflected in their bills from that date1. The announcement was published alongside a separate 15.65% increase to firmus energy's regulated gas tariffs in the Ten Towns network, also effective from 1 July 20261.
"Northern Ireland's biggest electricity supplier, Power NI, is set to increase its tariff for residential customers by 6.2% from 01 July 2026."
The 6.2% figure matches an increase announced by SSE Airtricity, Northern Ireland's second largest electricity supplier, which the Consumer Council reported on 3 July 2026 as applying to electricity tariffs from 1 August 20261. The two suppliers' announcements are separate and cover different effective dates.
Other suppliers have announced changes over the same period. Budget Energy, described by the Consumer Council as Northern Ireland's third largest electricity supplier, is to raise its electricity variable tariffs by 9.5% from 4 August 20261. Share Energy will increase its standard 24 hour electricity tariff by 12.6% from 1 October 20261. Earlier in the year, Click Energy raised its electricity tariff by 9.5% and Share Energy by 26.4%, both effective from 1 April 20261. On the gas side, SSE Airtricity announced a 19.2% increase for gas customers from 1 October 2026, affecting around 204,000 domestic gas customers across the Greater Belfast and West network1, while firmus energy announced an 8.98% increase in the Ten Towns network and a 12.5% increase in the Greater Belfast network from 4 September 20261. firmus energy also reduced its Ten Towns regulated gas tariffs by 10.10% from 1 April 20261.
| Supplier | Change | Effective from |
|---|---|---|
| Power NI (residential, credit meter) | +6.2% | 1 July 2026 |
| firmus energy (Ten Towns gas) | +15.65% | 1 July 2026 |
| SSE Airtricity (electricity) | +6.2% | 1 August 2026 |
| Budget Energy (electricity variable) | +9.5% | 4 August 2026 |
| SSE Airtricity (gas) | +19.2% | 1 October 2026 |
| Share Energy (standard 24 hour electricity) | +12.6% | 1 October 2026 |
Why it matters for households
Northern Ireland's electricity market operates separately from Great Britain's, so the energy bills in Northern Ireland framework and the tariffs in Northern Ireland available to households are set by different processes. Power NI is the largest supplier in that market, so a 6.2% change to its residential credit meter tariff affects a large share of homes1.
For a household, the size of the increase matters less than what it does to the annual cost of running a home, and how much of that cost can be shifted or reduced. Electricity used for heating, hot water and cooking ties a home to whatever the regulated or variable rate happens to be at the time. Homes that generate some of their own electricity, or that can move consumption to cheaper periods, are less exposed to a single supplier's announcement. The Consumer Council has not reported the cash value of the Power NI increase in the material published on 29 May 20261; for Budget Energy it reported the 9.5% rise would add around £122 a year, and for SSE Airtricity's electricity rise around £76 a year1.
The Power NI tariffs and standing charges page sets out how the supplier's charges are structured, and Power NI's supply position in Northern Ireland covers its role in the market.
What happens next
The Power NI increase takes effect from 1 July 20261. The firmus energy Ten Towns gas increase of 15.65% takes effect on the same date1. Further changes already announced take effect on 1 August, 4 August and 1 October 20261.
Sources1 cited
- The Consumer Rights Act 2015 | Consumer Council, consumercouncil.org.uk