SSE Airtricity announced on 28 August 2026 that it will increase its gas tariff by 19.2%, effective from 1 October 20261. The increase affects around 204,000 domestic gas customers throughout the Greater Belfast and West areas1.
The announcement was published by the Consumer Council, which records supplier tariff changes for Northern Ireland consumers1. SSE Airtricity is described by the Consumer Council as Northern Ireland's second largest electricity supplier1. The same supplier raised its electricity tariffs by 6.2% from 1 August 2026, an increase the Consumer Council said would add around £76 a year to a typical bill1.
The gas increase sits within a run of tariff changes in Northern Ireland during 2026. firmus energy announced an 8.98% rise on regulated gas tariffs for domestic and small business customers in the Ten Towns network areas, effective from 1 October 2026, and a 12.5% rise in the Greater Belfast network1. Share Energy announced a 12.6% increase on its standard 24 hour electricity tariff, also effective from 1 October 20261. Earlier in the year, Power NI raised residential tariffs by 6.2% from 1 July 2026, Budget Energy raised variable electricity tariffs by 9.5% from 4 August 2026, and Click Energy and Share Energy raised electricity tariffs by 9.5% and 26.4% respectively from 1 April 20261. firmus energy cut its Ten Towns regulated gas tariffs by 10.10% from 1 April 20261.
The Consumer Council's announcement of the SSE Airtricity gas increase states:
"Today, SSE Airtricity announced an increase of 19.2% for gas customers, effective from 1 October 2026."
The Consumer Council has not reported the cash effect of the 19.2% gas increase on a typical annual bill, in the way it gave figures of around £76 a year for the SSE Airtricity electricity rise and around £122 a year for the Budget Energy electricity rise1. No figure in pounds for the gas increase has been reported.
| Supplier | Fuel | Increase | Effective from |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSE Airtricity | Gas | 19.2% | 1 October 2026 |
| firmus energy (Ten Towns) | Gas | 8.98% | 1 October 2026 |
| firmus energy (Greater Belfast) | Gas | 12.5% | 1 October 2026 |
| Share Energy | Electricity (standard 24 hour) | 12.6% | 1 October 2026 |
Why it matters for households
Gas is the heating fuel for homes on the Greater Belfast and West networks, so a 19.2% rise in the regulated tariff feeds directly into the cost of heating and hot water for the roughly 204,000 households affected1. Unlike electricity, domestic gas in Northern Ireland is supplied through a licensed network area, which means a household's choice of gas supplier is determined by where it sits on the network rather than by open competition across the whole region. That limits the room to respond to a tariff change by moving to a different gas supplier, and it makes the regulated tariff the main lever on gas bills in those areas.
For a home's energy independence, the practical effect is on how much of the household budget is committed before any consumption decision is made. A higher standing cost per unit of gas raises the baseline for heating, and it changes the arithmetic on measures that reduce gas use, such as insulation, heating controls and draught-proofing, because each unit of gas avoided is now worth more. Households that have already cut gas consumption get less benefit from further cuts in cash terms than the percentage rise might suggest, since the increase applies to whatever gas is still used.
The wider pattern in 2026 has been mixed rather than one-directional: firmus energy reduced its Ten Towns gas tariff by 10.10% in April before announcing increases for October, and electricity tariffs have moved at different times and by different amounts across suppliers1. Households on gas in Greater Belfast and West therefore face a larger single increase than those on the Ten Towns gas network, where the announced rise is 8.98%1.
What happens next
The SSE Airtricity gas increase takes effect on 1 October 20261. The firmus energy gas increases in the Ten Towns and Greater Belfast networks and the Share Energy electricity increase take effect on the same date1. The Consumer Council has not reported any further supplier announcements beyond those dated 9 September 20261.
Sources2 cited
- The Consumer Rights Act 2015 | Consumer Council, consumercouncil.org.uk
- Electricity, oil and gas | Consumer Council, consumercouncil.org.uk