The chief executive of Manx Gas’ parent company has refuted claims that customers are turning off their supply due to rising costs – arguing instead that it is due to temperature rises.

Whilst giving evidence to Tynwald’s Economic Policy Review Committee, Jo Cox said that the volume of gas consumed across the three islands the Islands Energy Group supplies has dramatically changed over the past three years.

Mrs Cox said: ‘Volume has gone down in the domestic sector because it is warmer – I know it doesn’t feel that way – but actually it is warmer, so the volume of gas that we have normally been selling has halved.’

MHKs Claire Christian, John Wannenburgh and Jason Moorhouse sit on the committee and rebuffed these claims.

Mrs Christian asked if any temperature increases could not be seen as a ‘coincidence’, stating that this was not the cause, but rather ‘as prices have gone up, people are just switching off their gas’ as they are scared of soaring prices.

Mr Wannenburgh accused the group boss of having a ‘patronising attitude’, saying she could have communicated the argument more ‘sympathetically’.

Mrs Cox stated that this ‘certainly wasn’t my intent’ and revealed she receives reports on a daily basis from the company’s customer services team, and is fully aware of customer worries and feedback.

The latest price rises came into effect on April 1, and were met with outcry from customers.

A medium user – currently spending £1,168 a year – will see their bill rise by an extra £683 over the price set in October.

With regards to the supposed temperature rises, the Isle of Man Met Office has released data that would suggest otherwise.

A spokesperson for the Met Office told the Manx Independent: ‘April so far has had a mean daily maximum temperature of around 10°C, which is a little below average – indeed there was briefly a little snow on the hills at the start of the month.

‘However it looks like it will improve over coming days, with temperatures nearer to or slightly above average.’