How Much Does Home Heating Oil Cost in Ireland?

By Cormac Breen

Content Manager

Cormac is Selectra.ie's energy expert along with being the chief content and editorial manager for the website. His aim is to help find the best deal for you and your home energy needs so that you save money on your annual bills. His knowledge and experience of the Irish energy market allows him to offer the best advice and insight into current prices, emerging trends and overall energy saving tips.

In May 2025, the national average price for 500 litres of oil is €450, and €879 for 1,000 litres. In 2025, the average cost of home heating oil per litre is 98c, a decrease from 99.6c in 2024. As a carbon emitting fuel, oil is subject to the Carbon Tax, which adds €141 per 900 litres of oil.

Which County Has The Cheapest Home Heating Oil Prices in Ireland?

The table below gives an overview of the current average price for both 500 and 1,000 litres of home heating oil by county.

In addition to this, the table also displays the top home heating oil providers in each county:

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What Is The Average Home Heating Oil Usage per Month?

Household heating oil usage varies from around 1,300 litres a year in a 3-bedroom house to 2,600 litres for a 5-bedroom house.

Per month, this would work out at about 108 litres per month for a 3-bedroom house and about 216 litres per month for a 5-bedroom house, assuming you used your heating every month of the year.

Below you'll find a table outlining the estimated monthly cost of home heating oil for different home sizes:

Estimated figures based on an average price of 0.98c for home heating oil.  

There are several factors that will influence how much oil you use per month, including:

• The size of your home - bigger homes have more space to heat, increasing consumption.
• The heating demands of your home - if your home is poorly insulated, it will need more heating than others.
• The efficiency of your boiler - older boilers won't burn the oil as efficiently, meaning you lose money.
• The time of year - colder months will place greater demand on the heating system.

Is Home Heating Oil Going Up or Down in Ireland?

In 2025, the average cost of home heating oil is 98c per litre, which is a slight decrease from the last year.

The price of home heating almost doubled between 2021 and 2022 rising from 67.7c per litre, to 122.8c per litre before beginning to trend downwards in the following years:

Source: CheapestOil.ie
Last Updated: May 2025

As can be seen from the chart above, while prices have fluctuated over the last 15 years, 2022 saw a large spike in prices brought on by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent energy crisis that gripped Europe.

There are multiple factors that influence the price of home heating oil in Ireland:

• Global Crude Oil Prices
  As heating oil is derived from crude oil, changes in the global oil market directly impact its price. Geopolitical events, supply and demand dynamics, and production levels in oil-producing countries are key influencers.
• Euro - Dollar Exchange Rates
  Since oil is traded in US dollars, the exchange rate between the euro and the dollar affects the price Irish consumers pay. A weaker euro makes oil imports more expensive.
• Seasonal Demand
  Demand for heating oil typically increases during colder winter months, leading to potential price increases. Extreme weather, such as prolonged cold spells or storms, can also disrupt supply and drive prices up.
• Government Taxes and Levies
  Taxes like excise duties and carbon tax, as well as environmental regulations, can influence the final price of heating oil.
• Distribution and Transportation Costs
  The cost of transporting and distributing oil from refineries to consumers, including factors like fuel prices and logistical disruptions, impacts the final price.
• Global Events
  Events like political instability, conflicts in oil-producing regions, and natural disasters can disrupt oil supply and cause price volatility.

How To Use Your Home Heating Oil Efficiently

Given the volatility in the price of oil, it's important to use your home heating oil efficiently so as not to find yourself overpaying throughout the year.

Given that the average consumption of home heating oil is almost 1,500 litres per year, you could find yourself paying over €1,500 per year to heat your home.

Here are some tips to help you be more efficient with your home heating oil:

• 🔥 Oil Heating Efficiency Tips
• Service your oil boiler once a year.
• Ensure your home is well insulated.
• Don't block radiators with furniture.
• Turn your thermostat down by 1 degree.
• Don't heat rooms in your home that you don't use.

Many people believe that buying oil in the summer will always be cheaper but international markets, which influence prices here in Ireland, do not work this way with companies often buying oil well in advance.

Therefore, it's a good idea to keep an eye on prices throughout the year, as you may find yourself in a position to save on your home heating oil by taking advantages of low prices.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Home Heating Oil?

To examine how home heating oil compares to other home heating systems, we start by looking at its pros and cons below.

Pros of Using Oil

• Better Efficiency
  Analysed on its efficiency alone, oil does give a great return on every unit of energy. Oil burns at about 400 degrees hotter than both electricity and natural gas and can warm up your home much faster.
• Often Cheaper
  Provided oil prices are low, oil can be an acceptably priced alternative for your home heating, and is cheaper than heating through electricity-based systems like storage heaters.
• Better in Bulk
  The economy of scale also means that your oil will be cheaper if you buy it in bulk.

Cons of Using Oil

• Possibility of Running Out
  If you haven’t switched to automatic deliveries, as oil is transported by road, there is always the possibility of running out while waiting for your next delivery. Inclement weather such as storms or snow can also affect the routes for supplying oil.
• Storage
  If your house depends on oil for home heating, then you’ll need a place to safely store it, i.e. a tank. You may be able to rent your tank from your supplier, or you might need to buy it outright, adding to the already hefty cost of home heating through oil.
• Yearly Service
  Whichever tank you choose, above ground or underground, it will have to be serviced yearly to ensure there are no issues such as leaks, sludge, or tampering.
• Minimum Purchases
  Many oil companies have a minimum amount of oil that needs to be purchased to make a delivery, many at least 500 litres. This means you can’t simply top your tank up if you’re short on cash and may have to shell out quite a bit.
• Carbon Emissions
  Last but not least, as a fossil fuel, oil does produce carbon when it’s burned for residential use. With Ireland’s commitment to reducing its carbon emissions by increasing the use of renewable energy sources, this is an important negative point.

Where Does Ireland Get Its Home Heating Oil From?

Ireland’s oil, unfortunately, is 100% imported. As so many households are dependent on oil in Ireland, the government maintains roughly 90 days' worth of petroleum stocks for controlled distribution in the event of a shortage.

Oil imports in Ireland are first received by ship, and then distributed either directly by tanker, or stored in depots. Countries which supply Ireland with oil include:

• UK
• Sweden
• Norway
• USA

Oil imports to Ireland consist of petrol, diesel, and crude oil which are then processed at a refinery in Cork. Oil has been discovered off the coast of Cork but has yet to be processed, and with the drive towards renewable energy, it may never be.

Are There Alternatives to Heating Your Home With Oil?

There are more and more new technologies coming out to replace the dependency on oil for home heating.

If you’re building a home off the gas grid or already have a home that uses oil, some home heating alternatives you could look into are:

• Connection to the gas network
• Solar panels
• Heat pumps
• Underfloor heating
• Switching to LPG

By having a gas connection, you can avail of discounts and cheap rates by switching gas suppliers.

In particular, installing solar panels or a heat pump might not be as expensive as you think, as they both benefit from substantial SEAI grants.

By Cormac Breen

Content Manager

Cormac is Selectra.ie's energy expert along with being the chief content and editorial manager for the website. His aim is to help find the best deal for you and your home energy needs so that you save money on your annual bills. His knowledge and experience of the Irish energy market allows him to offer the best advice and insight into current prices, emerging trends and overall energy saving tips.