Cost of home heating oil on the rise again, price of petrol falls and diesel stays the same

There is better news for petrol-powered motorists with their chosen fuel dropping in price again, while the cost of diesel has remained virtually unchanged.

Concerns over the effects of rising prices has prompted the Ulster Unionist Party to call for home heating oil to come under the remit of the Utility Regulator.

A spokesperson said: “As a party we have long been calling for measures to protect families from fuel poverty this winter.

“One of those measures is to urgently bring home heating oil under the remit of the Utility Regulator. This would bring NI in line with the rest of the UK.

“As household energy costs continue to surge, homes in Northern Ireland relying on home heating oil are being disproportionately affected. Action is needed now.”

In terms of home heating oil, the cost of 900 litres went up from £864.41 to £873.31 in the past week.

The cost of 900 litres had been around £720 two months ago, and before the Ukraine war it had been around just over £550.

According to the latest Consumer Council survey, petrol was down to 159.5p from 160.6p while diesel was relatively unchanged – sitting at 176.8p from 176.7p.

The lowest average petrol per litre was found in Armagh at 154.9p while the cheapest average diesel was in Newtownabbey at 172.9p.

While the UUP suggested home heating oil should come under the remit of the Utility Regulator, the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health has urged Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots to introduce Domestic Solid Fuels Regulations in a bid to reduce the use of ‘dirty fuels’.

NI director Gary McFarlane said: “Northern Ireland has a much higher reliance on dirtier fuels such as coal and oil, than other parts of the UK. This is something that needs to be addressed.

"However, NI also has the highest levels of fuel poverty in the UK, and perhaps most significantly, the current absence of an Executive means that measures introduced by Westminster to assist people in other parts of the UK remain absent here.”

He urged the Assembly to bring forward measures that will address these issues by introducing targeted energy efficiency measures this winter alongside domestic solid fuel regulations in the near future.