Council to explore possible legal action against Firmus Energy following latest hike in gas bills

Aontú Councillor, Emmet Doyle, has welcomed agreement at Derry City and Strabane District Council on his proposal to explore legal avenues against the Energy Regulator to protect citizens against continuing energy price rises

Cllr Doyle, who is standing in next month's Assembly Election, said that Council needed “to do everything and anything to protect people” following Firmus' latest 16.31 per cent rise on gas bills – their fourth hike during the past 12 months.

Councillors agreed to authorise the Council's Lead Legal Service Officer to explore legal opinion to see if the Council could seek a judicial review to challenge the Utility Regulator following its decision to give the green light to Firmus to put up their prices.

Cllr Doyle said: “I welcome the fact that Council unanimously backed my call to look to the courts as to how we end these callous price rises for gas in particular.

“The Energy Regulator have a statutory duty to protect customers on price and quality of service they provide and I am clear they haven’t done that by approving time and again, rises which people can’t afford.

“I am sick of seeing my constituents having to make abhorrent choices for themselves and their families due to these price rises and they must stop.

“I’ve said many times that we need to do everything and anything to protect people and this is the latest manifestation of my determination that we do that.

“We will now as a Council seek expert legal advice as to how we can move forward and ultimately I want to see the Regulator forced to undo the approvals it has made on price rises and let companies like Firmus, whose parent firm is in the black to the tune of billions, absorb the cost.

“I’ll keep fighting for people right across Foyle with every idea and resource we have, people need support.”

Cllr Doyle's stance received support from People Before Profit Councillor, Shaun Harkin, who insisted Firmus transfer their profits into a Council-led hardship fund and give an iron-clad commitment guaranteeing that those unable to pay their bills will not have their gas supply cut off.

Cllr Harkin added: “It's immoral for major energy companies to be making profits when so many are struggling. Firmus should commit to not making any profits so they can immediately reduce their prices.

“Firmus should transfer all the profits they've made over the last year from households in the Derry and Strabane District into the Council-led hardship fund. There's no justification for payouts to shareholders during a hardship emergency.

“Firmus should commit to contributing to a Stormont-led Hardship Emergency Fund. Firmus must give an ironclad commitment to ensuring no one will have their gas turned off as a result of non-payment during this hardship emergency.

“People Before Profit are for bold and radical action to reduce the burden on workers and the least well-off during this crisis. This includes windfall taxes on all major energy corporations and government imposed price caps.

“The energy sector should be re-nationalised and brought under public control. The Stormont Executive spent years cheerleading for energy privatisation to facilitate profiteering by elites.

“We are now seeing how disastrous this economic strategy has been for the vast majority of people.”

The Derry News approached Firmus Energy for comment. However, a spokesperson said: “On this occasion, Firmus Energy will not be commenting.”