Price of home heating oil rises for fifth week in a row in Northern Ireland

According to the Consumer Council, the average cost of 900 litres has jumped to £553.39 – a rise of more than £50 from what it was five weeks ago – £497.06.​

It comes during a miserable month of weather in July which has followed a scorching June when the price of 900 litres had fallen as low as £495.03.

That had been cause for celebration for some as prices had returned to what they were before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

In order to compare Northern Ireland prices with those across the border in the Irish Republic, the cost of 500 litres must be used as deliveries come in 500 and 1000 litres.

In Northern Ireland deliveries can be 300, 500 or 900.

According to oilprices.ie, 500 litres will on average set back customers in the Republic €516.41 (£442.62) for 500 litres.

The same order in Northern Ireland costs £317.30 – nearly 40 per cent less.

Meanwhile the cost of petrol and diesel in the Province has also risen, albeit a more slight increase.

The average cost of a litre of petrol now stands at 139.3p, up from 139.0 last week. Diesel has risen from 137.9p to 138.7p in the same period.