Derry City and Strabane District Council agreed this week to contact the Labour Party in support of emergency measures for households facing high home heating oil costs.

The council held a deputation with Consumer Council representatives at its Governance and Strategic Planning Committee on Tuesday. The price of 500 litres of home heating oil rose to around £600 last week from just over £300 the prior week.

Consumer Council Head of Energy Raymond Gormley stated that weekly price updates lack value during this crisis as prices change multiple times daily. He said daily updates will provide better guidance on expected costs and that feasibility work is underway.

Director of Infrastructure and Sustainability Karen Smyth reported a sharp rise in use of the Consumer Council's oil price checker website. It recorded 11,000 accesses between February 28 and March 9, up from 888 the previous week. Vehicle fuel checks increased from 438 to 6,000 in the same periods.

Smyth advised customers to avoid panic buying, which can drive prices higher. She recommended shopping around, ordering smaller quantities, using the price checker, and reporting delivery complaints.

People Before Profit councillor Shaun Harkin proposed that the council write to the British Government requesting an emergency financial package. This includes price caps, direct payments, and energy bill support for affected families.

The proposal calls for the Labour government to impose a wealth tax on billionaires and large oil and gas firms to offset energy cost spikes for vulnerable households. It urges the Stormont Executive to intervene with price caps and payments linked to external events. The council also demands action against corporate price gouging.

The Consumer Council's oil price checker provides average home heating oil prices by council area, with daily updates planned for next week.