The Government earlier this year approved electricity price increases for the next three years. These increases are necessary to enable the ESB to undertake substantial investment, of the order of £1.5 billion over the next five years, in the electricity infrastructure, particularly in up-grading the rural network.
While the overall average price increase will be 2 per cent in 1996, 1.5 per cent in 1997 and 3 per cent in 1998, domestic bills will increase by 2.8 per cent in 1996, and 2 per cent in 1997. The 1996 increase, now being implemented, will add 17 per cent per week to the average domestic electricity bill. The allocation of the increase in 1998 among the various categories, including domestic customers, will be determined in due course.