Price rise and shortages: Home heating oil in Northern Ireland

Companies are struggling to keep customers supplied with oil. Credit: UTV

Home heating oil in Northern Ireland surges in price as demand soars amid plummeting temperatures.

Local oil companies are also struggling to keep customers supplied.

Fears of increasing shortages has led some companies to ration the amounts delivered.

Mum of two Carol Gallagher fears oil will soon run out at her home in Strabane. She’s a supply teacher on a low income.

Carol told UTV: “The last time I ordered oil I was told it had come down and I could get a few more litres. I thought that trend would continue but this really sets us back again.”

According to the Consumer Council the cost of a 500 litre fill has risen by over £50 in the last week, from £433.81 to £484.53.

This cold snap has coincided with what is traditionally the busiest time of the year for oil delivery companies.

Alexander Irwin from Grancha Fuels in Bangor says a limited amount of oil is coming into Northern Ireland.

Customer demand has also reached levels not seen in decades.

He said: “We are just trying to get out to people who most need it. For pensioners we are trying to get it out in drums so no one goes cold.

"We can only offer people 200 litres at the minute. We’d rather five people have oil than just one person with 1000 litres."

Industry representatives says more oil will be delivered into Northern Ireland shortly to ease recent supply issues.

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