Black Friday for consumers as December 1st heralds a raft of price increases

A series of prices hikes come into force on Friday as consumers will be hit by increases in the cost of energy, broadband and public transport.

Four energy companies along with four broadband and/or television providers will hike their prices from December 1st. All four public transport entities have announced price rises.

Pinergy (5.6 per cent), Energia (3.9 per cent) and Flogas (3.3 per cent) are all blaming price increases on the wholesale price of electricity. PrePayPower have not revealed its percentage increase, but the consumer website Bonkers.ie estimate it will add €34 to the annual cost of their customers' bill.

Eurostat statistics have revealed that Irish consumers have the fourth most expensive electricity in Europe.

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Sky’s price increase will affect certain broadband customers and TV customers and will add between €2 and €4 to monthly bills.

Vodafone’s price hike for certain broadband and voice customers will add an average of €4 to monthly bills.

Simply Broadband customers will see an increase of €7 a month and Simply Talk customers will be hit with a hike of €10 a month - or €120 a year.

Bonkers.ie head of communications, Mark Whelan said December 1st 2017 will be a "day to forget for thousands of Irish households" and the "increases , coming into the expensive Christmas season, could add up to hundreds of euro to annual household bills".

Luas, Irish Rail, Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann have also announced price increases on certain routes.

Short hop zone fares on Irish Rail are to increase by up to 4.6 per cent. Economy 2 single and return fares will increase by 1.2 per cent as will intercity adult and child weekly fares.

However, most intercity express single fares will be reduced by 5 per cent.

Bus Éireann fares will rise by up to 5 per cent on some routes.

Dublin Bus Nitelink, Ramble, monthly and annual prices will rise by between 1.4 per cent and 2 per cent. Adult Leap and cash fares will rise by up to 5.6 per cent and schoolchild Leap will be up by 1 cent.

Luas fares will increase by 10 per cent on monthly and annual fares. There will also be increases in one day, seven day and 30 day fares of between 1.4 per cent and 5 per cent.

The fare increases were approved by National Transport Authority (NTA). Its executive officer Anne Graham pointed out that there are many instances where prices have decreased or stayed the same especially for young people.

"Today's development will be good news for families, particularly around this time of year as people get geared up for going into town to do Christmas shopping and to see Santa Claus," she said.

“NTA has been taking steps to reduce the cost to families of using public transport since 2014.”

She also pointed to the expansion of city bus zones in regional cities which means that passengers on about three million journeys on Bus Éireann will be paying lower fares in 2018 than in 2017.

An extended city fare zone will be in place in Cork, Limerick and Galway leading to "significant savings", the NTA claimed.