NEWS

Inset: Cara Hunter MLA Households across Northern Ireland are feeling the strain of rising home heating oil prices, with one MLA warning that families are under increasing pressure and demanding urgent answers from government. East Londonderry SDLP MLA Cara Hunter has confirmed she has tabled a series of Assembly questions aimed at tackling what she describes as growing concerns over affordability, fairness and support for those most affected. Her intervention follows report

Oil tanker Finance Minister John O’Dowd has criticised a new funding package aimed at helping households with rising heating oil costs, warning the support could amount to just £35 per home in Northern Ireland. The Minister said the £17.2 million allocated for heating oil support in 2026/27 is “disappointing and falls far short of what is needed” , given the region’s heavy reliance on oil for home heating. His comments follow confirmation from the UK Government that funding

Families across Northern Ireland are set to receive a share of a new £50 million support package aimed at helping households struggling with soaring heating oil prices. The UK Government has confirmed that £17 million will be allocated to Northern Ireland, where reliance on heating oil is significantly higher than in other parts of the UK, leaving many families exposed to sudden price spikes. The announcement comes as kerosene — the fuel used in most home heating oil systems

Inset: Northern Ireland Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald Households facing a sudden surge in energy costs must receive urgent and meaningful support, Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald has said following discussions with the British Government. Speaking after a meeting on Saturday evening, 14 March, with Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Martin McCluskey MP, the Minister said intervention must be “meaningful, targete

Northern Ireland Finance Minister John O’Dowd Northern Ireland’s Finance Minister has warned that any new government support to help households with rising energy costs must fully include families who rely on home heating oil — a common reality across communities including Ballymena. John O’Dowd said the UK Government must ensure any assistance announced by the Chancellor is “meaningful, timely and delivered” in a way that supports households using oil-fired central heating,

Inset: Northern Ireland’s Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald Northern Ireland’s Economy Minister has moved to clarify what she describes as “misleading” claims about an £81 million support package aimed at helping households with electricity bills. Dr Caoimhe Archibald said inaccurate assertions about the funding risk confusing the public at a time when many families are already worried about rising energy costs. The funding, announced in the British Chancellor’s Autumn 20

More than 55,000 electricity customers across Northern Ireland are set to see their bills rise from April after two suppliers confirmed significant tariff increases. Click Energy will increase its electricity tariff by 9.5%, while Share Energy customers will face a much larger rise of 26.4%, with both changes coming into effect on 1 April 2026. The increases mean a typical Click Energy household could pay around £108 more per year, while a typical Share Energy customer could

Northern Ireland electricity supplier Share Energy has confirmed a significant increase to its electricity unit rate from 1 April 2026, with customers set to pay noticeably more per kilowatt hour while the daily standing charge remains unchanged. The change comes after the company held its prices steady for the past two years, despite rising costs across the wider energy market. Unit price rising by more than 6p per kWh Under the current Share 24 Keypad tariff, customers pay:

Gas customers across Ballymena and the wider Ten Towns network are set to see their bills fall again from April after Northern Ireland’s energy regulator completed its latest tariff review. The Utility Regulator has confirmed a 10.1% decrease to the regulated gas tariff for Firmus Energy customers in the Ten Towns area. The reduction, which comes into effect on 1 April 2026, is expected to reduce the average annual bill by around £94 for domestic and small business customers.

Households across Ballymena and more than 30 surrounding towns are set for another drop in their gas bills, as firmus energy Supply confirms a further double-digit tariff cut from April. The Newtownabbey-based supplier today (Thursday 5 March 2026) has announced it will reduce domestic tariffs for all customers in the Ten Towns Network area by 10.1% from 1 April 2026 — a move expected to save households an average of over £92 per year. It marks the third consecutive reductio

Households across Northern Ireland are facing a sharp and immediate spike in home heating costs, with prices rising by more than 60% since last Friday — prompting urgent cross-government talks and a warning that “any unjustified hike” is unacceptable. Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald has responded to escalating home heating oil and fuel prices, which have emerged in the wake of the action taken by the US and Israel against Iran. The situation has sparked fresh concerns f

Energy costs in Northern Ireland are surging again — and political pressure is mounting for urgent scrutiny. The Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows , has written to the Utility Regulator seeking assurances that energy providers will not use escalating international tensions as justification for what he describes as unjustified or excessive price increases. His intervention comes as households across Northern Ireland face sharp rises in ho

Pictured: Colin Magee, Non-domestic Consumer Protection Manager at the Utility Regulator New electricity and gas licence rules come into force to improve transparency, fairness and switching rights The Utility Regulator has introduced new licence measures to strengthen protections for Northern Ireland’s small business electricity and gas consumers, with changes taking effect from 4 February 2026, aimed at improving transparency, fairness and engagement in the non-domestic ene

The Utility Regulator has confirmed that a formal review of regulated gas tariffs in Northern Ireland is now under way, covering domestic and small business customers supplied by SSE Airtricity Gas Supply and Firmus Energy , while electricity prices for Power NI customers remain under ongoing monitoring. The review applies to customers in the Greater Belfast and West gas areas, supplied by SSE Airtricity Gas Supply, and the Ten Towns area, supplied by Firmus Energy. The regu

Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council has entered into a debate over which household recycling system works best, after the issue was raised at a meeting of a neighbouring council. Speaking in the council chamber at Mossley Mill on Monday evening, Antrim DUP councillor Paul Dunlop highlighted the differing approaches taken by local authorities. Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council has recently completed the roll-out of a triple-stacked wheelie box system to 25,000 house

Budget Energy customers are set to face higher electricity bills early next year as the supplier prepares to increase its tariff by 4% from 15 January 2026. The rise means a typical credit customer will see their annual bill increase by around £47, while a typical prepayment customer will pay around £46 more per year. According to the Consumer Council , the average annual bill for Budget Energy customers will now reach £1,281 for credit customers and £1,270 for prepayment cus

Pictured at the launch of Northern Ireland’s Consumer Energy Charters for Winter 2025/2026 are gas and electricity supplier representatives with Karen Smyth, Director of Infrastructure and Sustainability at the Consumer Council for Northern Ireland, Angus Kerr, Director of Climate Change at the Department for Communities, William Deane, Head of Consumer Protection and Community Energy at the Department for the Economy, Shane Logan, Chief Executive at Bryson and Sinéad Campbel

Home heating oil prices have dipped this week, according to the Consumer Council’s latest Home Heating Oil Price Checker , offering some short-term relief for households preparing for colder weather. The average cost of 500 litres now sits at £299.59, around £11.30 cheaper than last week, though still £12.45 more expensive than last month. The fluctuating figures highlight the ongoing volatility of the heating oil market, with prices changing daily and making it increasingly

Ballymena has become one of the latest towns in the UK to benefit from EE’s new 5G+ network, with upgraded coverage now live across the area in time for the busy Christmas period. The enhancement – rolled out at no extra cost – aims to provide faster speeds and significantly more reliable connectivity for residents, shoppers and visitors, particularly around high-footfall areas such as Fairhill Shopping Centre. The upgrade forms part of EE’s nationwide December rollout, which

Communities Minster Gordon Lyons (right) pictured with (left to right) Kevin Curran (Northern Ireland Housing Executive), Paula Craig-Peratt (Falkirk City Council), Stephanie Toghill (Tenancy Fraud Forum UK), Katrina Robinson (Tenancy Fraud Forum UK) and Tracey Ellis (Northern Ireland Federation of Housing Associations). Housing Minister Gordon Lyons has pledged a tougher stance on social housing tenancy fraud, warning that those who abuse the system are “taking a lifeline f