With costs still weighing heavily on households, political pressure is mounting on both sides of the border to bring heating oil bills down.
By MyOil Newsroom ·
Summary
The Irish Government has pledged to address home heating oil costs in Budget 2027, while a new support scheme drew over 50,000 applications within its first day. Separately, Alliance MP Sorcha Eastwood is pushing the UK Government to scrap VAT on home heating oil entirely. For anyone heating their home with oil, relief may be coming, but it is not here yet.
The Irish Government has committed to tackling the rising cost of home heating oil as part of Budget 2027, with the Taoiseach confirming that measures are being prepared. Both the Irish Independent and the Irish Examiner reported the pledge in mid-September, with the Taoiseach stating directly that soaring heating oil costs would be addressed in the upcoming budget. No specific figures or mechanisms have been confirmed publicly at this stage, so households should treat this as a political commitment rather than a done deal.
For the roughly 700,000 Irish homes that rely on oil as their primary heat source, any budget intervention would be welcome. Heating oil prices have remained a significant pressure point, particularly for rural households with no access to the gas network.
The scale of demand for relief is difficult to ignore. According to the Irish News, a home heating oil support scheme received more than 50,000 applications within the first 24 hours of opening. That level of response points to just how stretched many households are, and how urgently people are looking for help with their bills.
Details of the scheme's scope and eligibility were not set out in the reporting available, so if you are interested in applying for any support measure, it is worth checking directly with the relevant government department for up-to-date information.
North of the border, Alliance MP Sorcha Eastwood has called on the UK Government to remove VAT from home heating oil entirely, Belfast Live reports. Many rural homes in Northern Ireland depend on oil heating in the same way as their counterparts in the Republic, and the VAT element adds a meaningful amount to every fill. Eastwood's call adds to a growing chorus of voices pressing for cost relief on both sides of the border.
None of these measures has translated into lower prices at the point of delivery just yet. If you are managing your oil budget through the autumn, keeping a close eye on your usage is one of the most practical things you can do right now. Knowing roughly when you will need your next fill gives you more flexibility to shop around or wait for a better price window.
You can check when you are likely to run out based on your current level and usage, or set a price-drop alert so you are notified when local prices fall to a level that suits your budget. Both are free to use.
Sources
We write our own take and link the original reporting. Figures are as reported by the sources above.
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Tell us your county and we'll watch the price by the fill, not the cent. Add your tank and we'll tell you when you'll run out, and nudge you in good time to order.