Ben Lowry: In Northern Ireland we are particularly vulnerable to high home heating oil prices
This article first appeared in the March 14 2026 print edition of the News Letter:
Home heating oil prices in Northern Ireland were at time of going to press last night slightly higher than they were a week ago.
Even the most competitive suppliers were quoting around £1,100 for 900 litres, which was higher than the Thursday- to-Thursday average price in the province of £1,037.
Prices seemed to be dipping for a period on Wednesday and Thursday, amid hopes for an end to the Iran war. But they bounced back up and are now at the horrific level of £1.20 per litre.
It was welcome that the prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, pointed out on his visit to Northern Ireland that we are more reliant on oil to heat our homes than any other part of the UK – he said that two-thirds of households rely on it (I have heard lower ratios but it is at least half, and many times lower than the 4% or so of homes in England).
Last week I mentioned that for some people the best approach is to wear extra layers of clothing and hold on until the warmer months. As it happens I think many of us are used to excessive heat, but extra clothes is not a solution for elderly people or on days that are cold.
While the February 2022 Russian invasion precedent suggests that prices will fall below £1 a litre, they were often still at the unacceptably high level of 80p or 90p a litre for much of the following year.
Ben Lowry (@Benlowry2) is News Letter editor