The UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves stated that public money will not fund relief for home heating oil customers in Northern Ireland facing price spikes. Reeves said addressing price gouging and oil supply issues is the solution rather than financial aid. She directed the Competition and Markets Authority to examine heating oil and fuel pump prices.

Prices for 500 litres of home heating oil in Northern Ireland rose to around £600 last week from just over £300 the week before. Derry City and Strabane District Council agreed to contact the Labour Party in support of emergency measures for households. The council will also write to the British Government and Stormont Executive requesting price caps, direct payments, and energy bill support.

At the council's Governance and Strategic Planning Committee meeting on Tuesday, Consumer Council representatives provided updates. Raymond Gormley, Head of Energy, explained plans for daily updates to the Oil Price Checker website as prices fluctuate multiple times per day. Karen Smyth, Director of Infrastructure and Sustainability, reported 11,000 accesses to the home heating oil price checker from February 28 to March 9, up from 888 the prior week. Vehicle fuel checks increased from 438 to 6,000 in the same period.

People Before Profit councillor Shaun Harkin proposed the council motions, which included calls for an emergency wealth tax on billionaires and large oil and gas firms to aid vulnerable households and measures against corporate price gouging.

Stormont Finance Minister John O'Dowd said the Executive lacks funds for a support package and urged the British Government to provide aid. O'Dowd estimated costs could reach hundreds of millions of pounds and confirmed he wrote to UK Treasury Chief Secretary James Murray for engagement. Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald has contacted ministers in London and Dublin on the energy crisis.