'I fear for wee families' - home heating oil jumps £100 in three weeks

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A close-up image of a radiator, there is a person with a brown jumper on touching it. The radiator is white, behind it is a white wall and above it is a brown window sill.

The price of home heating oil is on the rise again after a period of respite.

Consumer Council for Northern Ireland (CCNI) figures show that in just three weeks the average cost of 500 litres of home heating oil has jumped from £346.59 to £445.37 – an increase of £98.78 (29%).

The organisation's Raymond Gormley said the price rise is in response to the escalation of fighting between the US and Iran.

About two thirds of Northern Ireland households use home heating oil, by far the highest of any UK region.

Home heating oil prices peaked at £612.37 for 500 litres on average in April and had dropped to a low of £346.59 for the same amount earlier this month.

The most recent CCNI figures, external show 300 litres of home heating oil costs an average £276.23 – up from £216.44 on 2 July.

A delivery of 900 litres now costs an average of £789.07 – an increase of £173.84 since 2 July.

'You can't buy £40 worth of oil'

On the left is Agnes, wearing a white jacket, black jeans with a black and cream cross body bag. She has short blonde hair. Beside her on the right is her granddaughter Abbie, wearing blue jeans, a khaki bomber jacket with a black shoulder bag.

Speaking to BBC News NI in Belfast city centre, Agnes Jackson said she is concerned about the general cost of living.

"I really do fear for wee families," she said.

Agnes said she switched from oil to gas in recent years as it was cheaper but "now it's on par".

She added that before making the switch, she had to be decisive about the household spending.

"For oil it wasn't as if you could go and buy it like gas at £40 - it was hundreds supplying oil," said Agnes.

A photo of a man and woman outside Belfast Grand Central Station. The woman Rosie on the left is wearing a white top with a blue rain jacket; she has short blonde hair.On the right is a man Patrick, wearing a purple polo shirt and glasses.

Having bought oil before May when prices were high, Rosie and Patrick McGivern say they are concerned about the increasing price.

Patrick added the colder winter months is going to be the "main problem".

"The weather's been good, people don't need to put on heating, but in two or three months' time things will change, and it looks like there's only one way the oil's going at the moment and that's up," he said.

The McGiverns said they don't believe home heating oil is affordable for the average family in Northern Ireland.

"We're lucky enough because we are retired and there's just us living in the house," Patrick added.

"We don't have to look after children or grandchildren but I think for the ordinary family an increase is terrible."

'Winter is going to be hard on families'

A young girl on the street, smiling. Wearing a white top, denim jacket and yellow cap.

Emma Rose Creaner has concerns about the cost of living and the oil price increase, particularly for families that need support.

"When we go back into winter it's going to be really hard, especially on families," she said.

Emma Rose's rent includes the cost of home heating oil and she said the recent increase is "completely ridiculous".

A man, Hugh O'Donnell. Pictured outside Belfast City Hall, he is wearing a blue button up shirt with a black watch on his left wrist. He is smiling with a booklet in his hand.

Hugh O'Donnell, who is retired, said his household is "totally dependent" on home heating oil and he understands why many people are facing problems.

"I'm from a generation of baby boomers; we have excellent state and work pensions so really it's not much of an impact for me," he said.

Prices will remain high until 'US-Iran negotiations resume'

A man, Raymond Gormley. Pictured from the shoulders up, he is wearing a blue shirt and a navy jacket. He has brunette hair.

CCNI's head of energy policy Raymond Gormley believes oil prices will remain high until peace negotiations between the US and Iran resume.

Brent crude - the global benchmark for oil prices - rose more than 6% on Thursday following several days of increases as the US stepped up military strikes against Iran.

Prices spiked after Houthi militia in Yemen attacked oil tankers in the Red Sea, threatening a key export route that Saudi Arabia has used to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.

In Northern Ireland, there have been increases of about 42.86% (£152.82) across 300, 500 and 900 litres of home heating oil orders since 26 February.

Gormley explained prices spiked dramatically at the beginning of March and peaked on 9 April with recent price movements trending downwards until the end of June.

However, since early July oil prices have been "creeping upwards until the middle of the month then stagnating".

"Prices had reached a four-month low up until the end of June, but since July we have seen prices rise again in response to the escalation of fighting between the US and Iran that has disrupted key oil-producing and shipping routes," said Gormley.

"With oil supply under pressure and increasing uncertainty, the cost of heating oil is likely to continue to remain high until peace negotiations resume."

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