Electricity prices are to rise on October 1st, three months earlier than expected.
Mr Tom Reeves, the electricity regulator, has said he will sanction the rise after completing a review of tariffs on September 28th.
Informed sources believe Mr Reeves will increase prices by about 8 per cent, which would see the average annual household bill rise to £356 from £330.
Consumers also face higher cable television charges after NTL, the former Cablelink, yesterday sought to increase its rates by up to 34 per cent. Its main competitor, Chorus, was revealed last week to be seeking an increase of up to 24 per cent.
The cable firms claim to have about 620,000 customers.
The electricity increase this October will be imposed despite indications last month by the ESB chairman, Mr Tadhg O'Donoghue, that the company could cope without an immediate rise.
Informed figures said the ESB subsequently informed Mr Reeves that it needed an increase in prices this year.
An ESB spokeswoman did not know of specific correspondence but said the company had relayed "concern" about the pace of Mr Reeves's review.
Any increases in the costs of electricity and cable television will have an impact on inflation.
The Department of Finance has already increased its yearend inflation forecast to 5 per cent from 4.5 per cent. Although lower than the 5.6 per cent inflation rate last year, this is still much higher than the euro zone average of 2.8 per cent.
Stating that the price of electricity had not risen since 1993, the ESB's spokeswoman said its fuel bill for power-generation had increased by £150 million in the past 18 months. "No company could continue to sustain that increase," she said.
The State electricity company, which says that the rates paid by consumers do not reflect its costs, wants to increase the cost of power by more than 20 per cent over five years.
The ESB claims it has not sought a rise per se, but has informed Mr Reeves of its increasing costs. It has also said that the prices paid by domestic consumers are cross-subsidised by its commercial customers.
Electricity bills will rise despite the introduction of competition in the market, which is intended to foster price reductions.
The first bills reflecting the increase on October 1st will be issued on December 1st, Mr Reeves said in a paper.
The telecoms regulator, Ms Etain Doyle, yesterday said that NTL wanted to raise its annual tariffs to a standard rate of £136. The company has 370,000 customers.
Its submission to Ms Doyle implies a 34 per cent rise from £101 in Dublin. Tariffs in Waterford would rise by 26 per cent rise from £108. The rate would increase by 15 per cent in Galway.
The regulator said that she would publish a report next month or in October. She was prepared to review prices in light of the additional capital invested by the company and an improvement in service.
Ms Doyle said: "Price increases are not popular. However, I have to acknowledge the substantial investment by NTL in network and services and the effects of inflation compounded over the last few years.
"I am particularly concerned with the difficulties companies are experiencing in building networks and the resulting increased costs due to delays and uncertainties about planning issues."
Ms Doyle said that NTL had indicated that programmes to upgrade which had been agreed with her office were now complete. She added that NTL was ready to introduce digital television services to 140,000 households before the end of September.
Chorus, which is part-owned by Independent News & Media, has 250,000 customers.
NTL seeks price rise: page 15