Prices in same regions vary up to €78 
dearest tank in Meath/Kildare, cheapest in North East

Further evidence of Rip-off Ireland has emerged with Fine Gael Enterprise Spokesman Leo Varadkar TD revealing that Irish homeowners pay €85 more for a tank of home heating oil than homes in Northern Ireland, even when tax differences are factored in. There are also massive price differences around the Republic, even in the same regions, with the most expensive tank of oil in the Meath/Kildare region (€1,000 including VAT) and the cheapest elsewhere in the North East (€905 including VAT).

"This is yet more evidence of how Irish homeowners are being ripped off. When you strip out VAT, a 1,000 litre tank of home heating oil in the Republic costs an average of €85 more than it does in Northern Ireland. The average price in the Republic is €839 less VAT, while in the North it costs just €754 less VAT.

"Earlier this year my colleague Richard Bruton TD wrote to the National Consumer Agency asking it to investigate why Irish prices for home heating oil are the highest in Europe, as revealed by the European Commission. The Fine Gael survey shows that in relation to the North/South divide, there are major price differences which cannot be explained away through different tax regimes."

The Fine Gael survey obtained quotes from 38 oil distributors across the Republic of Ireland and revealed massive price variations between suppliers in the same region. The largest discrepancy was in Dublin where homeowners could save €78 by switching to a different supplier. The dearest Dublin supplier was charging €990 and the cheapest was €912. The smallest variation was in the North West which had only a €30 difference, with the dearest charging €970 compared to a rival price of €940.

"The survey clearly highlights the need for greater price transparency in the home heating oil area. With concerns about fuel poverty coming to the fore, people need to be in a position to get the best possible value for their home heating oil. The National Consumer Agency must do far more to stand up for consumers by publishing quotes from various oil distributors on the internet, and regularly updating them. This will allow consumers to better see where best value can be found."

Editor’s Note: The survey, conducted last week, revealed an average price of €952 for 1,000 litres of Kerosene (Home Heating Oil) with prices ranging from €905 to €1,000 in the Republic. It also surveyed 18 Northern Irish oil distributors which revealed even greater price differences, with an average price of £627 for the same quantity of heating oil. Taking account of the differing tax regimes, an €85 price difference between the Republic and Northern Ireland was revealed.

The outline results of the survey are available below, with the full survey available from the Fine Gael Press Office on 01 6183358.