Home Heating oil prices across Northern Ireland have continued to fall in the past week from highs after the new year, while car fuel prices have risen slightly.

A 300 litre top up is around £1 cheaper than seven days ago while a 900 litre purchase is about £3 less expensive, according to the latest figures from the Northern Ireland Consumer Council.

The average 300l purchase in NI now costs £197.38, down from £198.55 on February 13, while 500l has reduced to around £306.65 from £307.02.

According to the Consumer Council 900l is now at an average cost of £539.57, down from a price of around £542.73 last week.

The best deals on home heating oil could be found around Derry and Strabane, where 300l and 500l are around £3 cheaper on average, while 900l purchases are about £7 less expensive.

By contrast, Ards and North Down customers are paying higher prices than the NI average, with 300l, 500l and 900l being £2, £2.50 and £3.80 higher than the typical price.

Home heating oil prices spiked in the New Year when temperatures dropped notably, driving a spike in demand.

Car fuel prices tended to rise slightly in the past seven days. Petrol now costs 133.2p per litre on average, a small rise from 132.9p per litre on February 13. Diesel costs also went up a small amount, to 139p from 138.7p.

The Consumer Council checks prices across NI, with different locations offering better and worse deals.

The best saving on petrol could be found at forecourts in Limavady, where customers save 4.3p per litre, while the best diesel offer was in Newtownabbey which offered a 4.1p per litre saving.

The worst deal on petrol was at filling stations in Magherafelt, with a price per litre around 3.1p higher than normal. The worst diesel cost was recorded at petrol stations in Newry, which had a price of 5.4p per litre above the average in NI.