SSE Airtricity bills to increase by more than £70 a year

Getty Images A person looks at their bills at home. A pen is in one hand and a bill lies on a table. There are other objects on the table, like a calculator, a meter, a bulb and a cupGetty Images
Customers will have to pay around an extra 20p per day from 1 August

SSE Airtricity domestic customers in Northern Ireland will see their bill rise by more than £70 a year.

The electricity provider said household bills will increase by 6.2% from 1 August - about 20p a day, or £71.57 extra a year.

It's predicted the typical annual cost of home electricity bills for SSE Airtricity customers will be £1,277.07 per year.

The company said the price increase is due to "sustained market volatility" and higher wholesale costs.

Stephen Gallagher, managing director of SSE Airtricity, said it was a decision the company had not taken lightly.

"This is a result of sustained higher wholesale market costs that are outside of our control," he said.

"We continue to do everything we can for our customers to limit the impact of ongoing volatility in the energy market."