The global energy shock triggered by the Iran war led to a near 15 per cent hike in wholesale electricity prices in Ireland in July.In its latest snapshot of prices here, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) said wholesale electricity prices rose by 14.8 per cent last month and were up by 56.2 per cent over the 12 months to July.Wholesale electricity prices are the main determinant of domestic energy bills.The latest surge in prices also reflected increased electricity imports via the interconnector with Britain amid lower domestic generation.Ireland relies on imported natural gas for about half its energy needs and is therefore highly exposed to turmoil on international energy markets.European natural gas surged to a five-month high this week as the war in the Gulf remains mired in stalemate, dimming the outlook for global supplies and the region’s preparedness for the forthcoming winter.Benchmark futures jumped as much as 3.9 per cent, topping €65 a megawatt-hour for the first time since March. Oil also surged, giving gas a fresh leg-up to levels last seen in the early days of the war, after US president Donald Trump announced plans to inflict what he called an “economic D-Day” on Iran.Despite the recent surge, wholesale electricity prices in Ireland were almost 60 per cent down on their 2022 peak in the immediate aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.The recent price volatility on international markets has prompted fresh calls for Ireland to accelerate its shift away from fossil fuels and into renewables. The State’s climate change abatement target of generating 80 per cent of electricity from renewables by the end of the decade, however, is being frustrated by planning delays and the slow roll-out of offshore energy projects.The CSO’s data was part of its series on wholesale prices here which showed that all energy fuels were up by 0.6 per cent in July, and by 19.1 per cent on an annual basis.The agency said domestic producer prices for manufactured goods were on average 4.5 per cent higher in July, while producer prices for exported goods were up by 7.6 per cent.Overall, manufacturing producer prices were 7.3 per cent higher in the year.Producer prices for food products increased by 2.7 per cent in the 12 months to July, while the wider food products, beverages and tobacco index was up by 2.4 per cent.