Cost of living: Energy price hikes in Northern Ireland add to mounting financial pressure

Households across Northern Ireland face increasing pressure on the cost of living as energy price hikes have come into effect.

Northern Ireland's largest provider of natural gas, SSE Airtricity, increased its prices by almost 19% on Thursday for its 200,000 domestic and small business customers.

That means the annual gas bill of a typical household in the greater Belfast and west gas network areas will increase by almost £172.

The company said "unprecedented levels of volatility in global energy markets…