Bord Gais Energy residential customers will see price rises from next month.

The company says a typical electricity bill will rise by 8.8%.

A typical gas customer's bill will go up by 9.3%.

Sustained increases in the cost of supplying energy are being blamed for the move.

The changes take effect from October 9th.

The increase will add around €177 to the average household’s annual electricity bill and €140 a year to the average gas bill.

Catherine Lonergan, Director of Customer and Commercial at Bord Gáis Energy, says: "We recognise that this announcement will be unwelcome for customers and increasing prices is never a decision taken lightly.

"Global conflicts resulting in higher wholesale gas costs, together with rising network charges, mean a price increase is now necessary. This is our first gas price increase in four years, and we continue to offer the lowest gas standing charge in the market."

Daragh Cassidy from bonkers.ie says: "Bord Gáis Energy has around 300,000 gas customers and even more electricity customers, so this news will impact many households throughout the country.

"And while the hikes that have been announced may not seem exceptionally high, they're coming on top of energy costs which are already at very high levels. Gas prices are already around 90% higher than they were four or five years ago while electricity prices are around 70% higher.

"So any further hikes to energy costs, however moderate, will hit many households hard."