Northern Ireland home heating oil prices continue to spiral out of control - with 500L now costing an average of £662.
The Consumer Council’s weekly price comparison bulletin shows that a delivery of that size is costing £227 more than just one week ago.
Their March 3 bulletin listed 500L as costing an average across the region of £435. One month ago, on February 10, 500L would have cost people in Northern Ireland at £314 - less than half what it is now.
Read more: Northern Ireland home heating oil costs spiral in just a week
Today’s March 10 bulletin also shows that 300L is costing an average of £409, while 900L is costing £1,181.
The news comes amid mounting pressure on household budget as well as political rows over what Stormont or Westminster can or cannot do to help.
Sinn Féin MLA Caoimhe Archibald said on Wednesday that “the British government should cut duty on petrol, diesel and on home heating oil to drive down household bills”.
On Thursday morning, Michelle O’Neill tweeted: “What the public need is restoration of the Executive with its full spending & decision-making powers.
“The DUP should nominate an FM so we can hold an extraordinary Executive; agree a budget & allocate the £300 million available to struggling families - I’m ready to do that today.”
Ahead of Thursday’s party leaders’ meeting, the SDLP has proposed emergency measures to access the £300 million.
It said its representatives met legal clerks in the Assembly and Westminster to discuss what powers are available to bring forward emergency legislation to help people with the spiralling energy costs.
SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan has started work in the Assembly to explore whether an accelerated Private Member’s Bill could be used to release funds.
And at Westminster, SDLP leader Colum Eastwood has engaged with Secretary of State Brandon Lewis to assess whether a UK Government intervention could help to resolve the issue.
Mr Eastwood is to make a formal proposal at the meeting of the party leaders.
“It is incumbent on all of us, whether in the Assembly or at Westminster to now work collectively to explore what can be done to help people now,” he said.
“We cannot sit idly by and wait for this crisis to consume families here.
“If legal advice is stopping the Finance Minister from spending this money, then we need to find another way to get this money out fast.”
Ulster Unionist leader Doug Beattie told the BBC Good Morning Ulster programme that the DUP should renominate a first minister to allow the budget to pass.
He said: “I would plead with Sir Jeffrey to, even in a limited capacity, to renominate so that we could have a budget and then, if he so wishes, to collapse it again.
“But we never thought collapsing the Executive was the right thing to do in the first place.
“We need a budget and we need a budget so we can have the funds to be able to support people here in Northern Ireland with the huge cost-of-living crisis.”
DUP Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots said money could be handed out on the basis of last year’s budget.
He told the BBC: “Conor Murphy’s budget can’t be passed so you go back to last year’s budget and spending could be based upon last year’s budget and the departments be awarded funding.”
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Read more: Advice on how to save on home heating oil in Northern Ireland as prices rise 80% in ten days
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