The average price of home heating oil in Northern Ireland has fallen to its lowest level since mid-November, with a 300 litre purchase now costing around £180 on average.
And the cost of petrol and diesel has also decreased in the past week, according to the latest data released by the NI Consumer Council.
The watchdog’s figures for March 13 show that the average cost of 300 litres of home heating oil has decreased to £181.80 – a drop from £189.88 the week before.
A 500 litre purchase now costs £283.84, a notable fall from £296.30 on March 6, while a 900 litre fill now sits at £500.36, over £20 down from its price last week.
Prices have been trending downwards for two months after they spiked in mid-January when temperatures dropped sharply.
The past week has seen some of the warmest days of the year, with more spring-like conditions, although temperatures have dropped again.
Deals on home heating oil available to customers vary depending on the council area and the amount of oil being bought.
For example, buyers in Fermanagh and Omagh are saving £3.78 on the typical 300 litre purchase compared to the NI average, while Ards and North Down customers are getting better deals for larger buys, saving £3.63 on 500 litres and £7.97 on 900 litres.
By contrast, Derry City and Strabane customers are paying around £8.16 more for a 900 litre fill-up, and in Newry, Mourne and Down, people are paying around £5-6 more than average across all three sizes.
Car fuels have also fallen slightly in the past week with petrol now setting motorists back an average of 132p per litre – down from 132.8p last week.
Meanwhile, diesel is down to 137.8p per litre from 138.9p the week before.
The best deal on petrol last week was recorded in Strabane (128.8p) where customers are saving 3.2p per litre.
Canny diesel consumers could find a 2.6p per litre saving in Cookstown where the price is 135.2p.
The highest prices for both petrol and diesel were noted in Newry, with petrol up 3.4p per litre to 135.4p and diesel up 6.6p per litre to 144.4p compared to the NI average.