Northern Ireland is planning a package of protections for households that rely on heating oil, including a mandatory supplier code and a register intended to help vulnerable customers.
Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald set out the proposals to the Northern Ireland Assembly on 10 November, following a competition watchdog study of the market. The plans also include a register of suppliers, a priority service programme and a stronger role for the Consumer Council in resolving disputes.
The measures have yet to be developed and are not all in force. The announcement did not set a start date, and the minister said future legislation could strengthen the arrangements for resolving complaints. The plans do not include controls on the price of heating oil.
Support for customers most at risk
The Consumer Council is to develop an opt-in register for vulnerable heating-oil customers. Archibald said eligibility would be informed by the definition used in the market study and tailored to Northern Ireland. The statement did not set out a final list of eligibility criteria or explain when people would be able to join.
Officials will consider how existing registers in the electricity sector might inform the work, subject to appropriate data-sharing arrangements. The minister said there would also be engagement with the Information Commissioner’s Office on data protection.
The council will develop plans for a separate priority service programme. This is intended to offer protections comparable to those available to vulnerable gas and electricity customers and to help prioritise support during shortages or disruption to supplies. It is a planned programme rather than a service households can already assume is available.
Supplier standards and complaints
The department plans to work with the Trading Standards Service on a comprehensive register of heating-oil suppliers. It will explore whether an existing HM Revenue and Customs scheme for dealers in controlled oils can help identify businesses operating in the market.
Another part of the package would turn an existing voluntary industry code into a mandatory one. The proposed work will address transparency around minimum order volumes, payment and delivery terms and associated charges. A clear account of those conditions matters when customers are comparing an order or trying to understand what they have agreed to buy.
The Consumer Council already advises customers and assists with complaints about suppliers. Archibald wants to strengthen its role so people have a clearer route to resolving contract and service disputes. She said future legislative changes could enhance redress arrangements, drawing a comparison with the function of the Energy Ombudsman in Britain.
Trading Standards would still be able to consider matters that may breach existing consumer protection legislation. The minister described the approach as an alternative to creating a more extensive licensed regulatory regime for the local heating-oil market.
Why the market was examined
Heating oil is a significant household fuel in Northern Ireland, where more than 60 per cent of homes rely on it. Unlike a continuous mains supply, oil is generally bought in deliveries, often in substantial quantities. That can make the price and size of an individual order important to a household’s budget.
The Competition and Markets Authority published its market study in July after a sharp rise in prices. It found that the market was generally competitive and that much of the increase reflected higher wholesale costs. Its analysis found that increases in wholesale costs accounted for 83 per cent of the increase in the average UK retail price between February and March 2026.
Competition did not remove all the gaps in protection, the authority found. It identified inconsistent support for vulnerable customers and limited access to independent dispute resolution compared with households connected to gas and electricity networks. It recommended stronger safeguards but did not recommend regulating heating-oil prices at this stage.
The UK Government responded to the study in October, but its responses to the principal recommendations applied to Great Britain. Heating-oil policy is transferred in Northern Ireland. The Assembly announcement sets out the separate approach the minister intends to pursue there.
