Lawlor demands crackdown on home heating oil price gouging
Lawlor demands crackdown on home heating oil price gouging - The Labour Party
- Government must act on heating oil hikes
- Hard pressed households cannot pay more
Labour’s enterprise spokesperson George Lawlor TD has demanded urgent Government action following reports that home heating oil suppliers have increased their prices in response to events in Iran. With tensions escalating in the Middle East, Deputy Lawlor said homeowners are already reporting higher quotes for home heating oil and warned that profitable energy firms must not exploit global instability to heap further pressure on families already struggling with the cost of living. He called on Ministers to set out what immediate steps they will take to prevent price gouging and protect hard pressed households.
Deputy Lawlor said:
“I am already hearing of instances where home heating oil companies have increased their prices, seemingly in response to events in the Middle East over the weekend. Families are watching international news with concern, but they should not be hit with higher heating bills before any real impact has even worked its way through supply chains.
“This looks and feels like opportunism. These are outrageously profitable companies. They do not need an excuse to pad margins. The idea that global tensions become a green light for immediate price hikes for home heating oil is disgraceful. Homeowners are already grappling with high mortgage repayments, rising insurance costs and everyday bills that stretch pay packets to breaking point. They cannot absorb another sudden spike in the cost of heating their homes.
“Government cannot sit back and hope the market sorts itself out. Ministers need to say clearly if there is evidence of price gouging, what they are going to do about it. Regulators must step in and Government must be prepared to act swiftly and decisively.
“This matters because heating is not a luxury. It is a basic necessity, especially for older people, families with young children and those living in poorly insulated homes. When the cost of filling a tank rises sharply, households face impossible choices about how and when they heat their homes.
“Ministers must now answer a simple question. What are they going to do about this? Will they monitor home heating oil pricing in real time? Will they empower regulators to investigate and intervene? Will they stand up to powerful interests and defend hard pressed homeowners? Government must act now to stop price gouging and protect families from yet another cost of living blow.”