It costs €80 more to buy 1000 litres of home heating oil than it did a month ago.
That’s according to a report from the Irish Independent this week.
It said that there is “widening gap” between the cost of heating oil in the Republic and North of Ireland.
Kevin McPartlan of Fuels for Ireland highlighted the dangers of travelling across the border to purchase fuel, but said he can understand why people take the risk.
Speaking on the Joe Finnegan Show, he outlined that price differentials and tax differentials purchasing fuel on opposite sides of the border.
He called for the government to address VAT on home heating oil to help people in border areas, such as Clones.
Mr. McPartlan said: “The VAT on gas is 9%, the VAT on home heating oil is 13.5%, and that VAT applies to all the other taxes that apply to home heating oil.
“There is a really quick fix that can be done here. Government needs to look at the taxation here, where people in Clones are disadvantaged compared to the people who live eight miles up the road,” Mr. McPartlan added.
Tommy Sheahan, from North Pole fuels in Co. Cavan, was also speaking about the issue on the Joe Finnegan Show this morning.
He claims that a 20kg bag of coal in Northern Ireland is selling for between €7 and €9. In the south, he said it is between €14 – 16.
Mr. Sheahan said that people’s are bringing fuel across the border in large numbers.
He doesn’t blame people for doing it, but says it is dangerous.
Mr. Sheahan said: “They’re bringing oil in the boots of their car in drums, and the tops are opened. It’s spilling out of their boots, and making the roads very, very dangerous.
“As a result the fire brigade is called out to clean the roads. That’s money out of the council that they could do something else with,” he added.
