Derry Council demands Consumer Council intervention over oil price surge

Derry City and Strabane District Council will invite Consumer Council representatives to discuss mitigation against “massive” home heating oil price hikes in the wake of the US-Israel Iran war.

Since the conflict began last week home heating oil prices across Northern Ireland have become more expensive, and during March’s Governance and Strategic Planning Committee meeting on Tuesday (March 3) Chair and Sinn Féin councillor, Grace Uí Niallais, requested that council invite Consumer Council representatives to a future Committee meeting.

Councillor Uí Niallais said that the meeting would allow members and the representatives to discuss any potential controls that could be put in place to protect prices in the district.

“There is real concern over this act of aggression against Iran,” she added. “And I’m sure everybody in this council chamber has been contacted by residents who are really worried about the hiking oil prices and diesel and gas.”

SDLP councillor Catherine McDaid said the meeting would allow representatives to advise members on how to help constituents, while People Before Profit councillor Shaun Harkin said he has already been contacted by people who are “talking about spikes in the price of their energy costs” since last week.

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He added: “Obviously the war may have a big impact on that in terms of the distribution of energy from the Middle East, but it’s also the case that companies have just engaged in price gouging.

“So I really endorse your proposal to bring in the Consumer Council to have a conversation, because in the past safeguards were very weak.

“When we had an energy crunch here there was very little done by the regulator to protect people, so I think if we can urge them to do more right now that will be welcomed by a lot of people.”

Sinn Féin councillor Christopher Jackson said many residents were already in fuel poverty and now are faced with “massive price hikes”.

“It has got the stage now where energy or fuel has become unattainable for some people,” Councillor Jackson Concluded.

“That’s a stark reality, so it is right that we challenge that in any way we can and the most logical first step is to have that conversation with the Consumer Council to educate ourselves, get as much information as we can, and represent the people that we were elected to represent.

“It has been described as price gouging and I wouldn’t dispute that in any way, so I trust that officers will try and get that arranged at the earliest opportunity.”