The cheapest spots in Northern Ireland for home heating oil as September starts

Home heating oil prices are on the rise again as temperatures get colder

The weather is now getting colder as we approach the autumn months, with many of us now reaching for the thermostat.

Home heating oil prices in Northern Ireland are now on the rise as the weather cools, with many of us topping up our oil for the months ahead.

Across Northern Ireland, prices vary depending on location, with some spots recording prices over £4 below the weekly regional average.

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The Consumer Council’s Home Heating Oil Price Checker, which is updated weekly, shows the average price of 300 litres of home heating oil is currently £169.35, around £4 more expensive than the previous week.

The average price of 500 litres is £268.47, £6 more than last week, while 900 litres will now set you back an average of £469.90, £11 more expensive than the week before.

The cheapest place to purchase 300 litres of home heating oil this week is Mid and East Antrim, where the average cost is £167.34, £2.01 below the Northern Ireland average.

For both 500 litres and 900 litres of oil, the Ards and North Down area has the cheapest prices. Here, 500 litres of oil will set you back an average of £266.20 this week, £2.27 below the regional average. For 900 litres, you can expect to pay an average of £465.72, which is £4.18 below the Northern Ireland average.

This week, the most expensive area to buy any quantity of home heating oil is the Newry City, Mourne & Down area. For 300 litres, the average price here is £172.36, £3.01 above the regional average. In this area, 500 litres will set you back £270.97, £2.70 above average. The average cost of 900 litres is £472.46, £2.56 above average.

Home heating oil is the most common fuel for central heating in Northern Ireland. Around 500,000 households, over two-thirds of all homes here, use home heating oil as their primary fuel source.

This is significantly higher than in the rest of the UK and is particularly common in rural areas due to lack of natural gas grid connection.

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