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'Take-Away' Home Heating Oil On The Rise Again

As home heating oil prices are up 18 per cent to an average of €964 for 1,000 litres in a further blow to consumers this winter many Sligo consumers are buying 'take-away' oil and stocking up for the winter.

Earlier this week and yesterday, it emerged that natural gas and electricity prices  are to raise dramatically within weeks on the back of a series of decisions by the State’s energy regulator.

Yesterday the National Consumer Agency published details of a survey showing home heating oil costs are also on the rise.

The study found that the average cost of supply and delivery of 1,000 litres of the fuel is up 18 per cent this year, at €964 from €818 in 2011.

Home heating oil costs have risen 44 per cent since 2010. The agency’s figures show that two years ago the cost of supply and delivery of 1,000 litres was €670.

However, the organisation’s director of research and policy, Fergal O’Leary, said consumers could get a better deal through shopping around and bargaining with their suppliers as there were differences of between €30 and €40 within most local areas surveyed.

In Sligo and Ennis the variation was at its lowest at €10.

“In order to maximise savings on home heating oil, we would strongly urge consumers not to simply order from their existing supplier at the first quoted price,” he said.

Many Sligo heating oil customers last year switched to the new phenomenon buying the oil in 'take-away' 20 and 25 litre containers from some forecourts, supermarkets and local shops.
See SligoToday.ie 5/12/11

Some outlets have seen a spike of buyers in the past few weeks as householders stock up for the winter.

The continuing threat of large amounts of oil being stolen from domestic oil tanks has also been somewhat thwarted by the 'take-away' practice as the thieves usually seek out only full tanks especially those having just been filled by the high-profile oil trucks.

Meanwhile morotists are begining to feel an extra pinch as petrol was on sale in Sligo yesterday at €1.71.9 per litre.

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