Use heating oil or LPG in Northern Ireland? The rest of the UK's got its help... where's yours?!

Roughly two-thirds of homes in Northern Ireland – around 500,000 – rely on heating oil, and thousands more rely on LPG. But heating oil and LPG aren't regulated markets, which means their prices aren't capped. Households have seen the price of heating oil and LPG spike in recent months due to the conflict in the Middle East.

In response to increasing prices, the UK Government announced a funding package in March of £50 million for heating oil customers (LPG hasn't specifically been mandated for), including £17.2 million allocated to Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Executive then announced in April that it would provide an additional £19.2 million to boost its total funding package to £36.4 million.

However, while the rest of the UK has made the funding available for households to apply for, consumers in Northern Ireland are in limbo waiting for their equivalent scheme to open.

No update on when £100 support will be made available

Support in Northern Ireland will take the form of a £100 prepaid card that eligible households can apply for and that can be used to directly pay heating oil suppliers.

In April, the Northern Ireland Executive said the prepaid cards would be made available to over 300,000 eligible households. This includes groups identified as most vulnerable to increased heating oil costs, such as:

• Households in receipt of income-related means tested benefits, namely Pension Credit, Universal Credit and Income Related Employment and Support Allowance;

• Households in receipt of disability benefits;

• Pensioner households not in receipt of Pension Credit with income below £30,000; and

• Households on incomes below £30,000 and not in receipt of income related benefits.

However, despite pressing the Northern Ireland Executive for details, it still couldn't tell us exactly when the scheme will open, how people will be able to apply or whether it will be made available to LPG users. The funding is due to end on 31 March 2027.

£30 electricity bill reduction not due till September

In March this year, it was also confirmed that a yearly £30 reduction on electricity bills for the next three years would be implemented in Northern Ireland. This follows a similar financial support package announced by the UK Government in last year's Budget. Over 800,000 households use electricity in Northern Ireland.

However, this is yet to take force, with the Executive confirming that it will now be in place in early September. It told us that delivery of the scheme is still progressing, and that the necessary legislation to enable it to go ahead is being finalised the week commencing 22 June.

The Executive adds that it is working with the Treasury to finalise approval for the necessary funding and that once this has completed, it will be able to set out further details on how the scheme will work.

Energy prices set to rise for some in Northern Ireland

Unlike the rest of the UK, Northern Ireland's gas and electricity market isn't governed by regulator Ofgem's Energy Price Cap. Instead, the Utility Regulator – the economic regulator for electricity, gas, and water in Northern Ireland – reviews and sets caps and tariffs periodically for the three biggest electricity and gas firms. Here's what they're doing:

• Power NI – Northern Ireland's largest electricity supplier – will increase prices from 1 July by 6.2% (or £64 a year on average), impacting around 520,000 households.

• Firmus Energy will up gas prices for customers in the Ten Towns area from 1 July by 15.7% (or £132 a year on average).

• SSE Airtricity is expected to have prices in the Greater Belfast area reviewed in August with a possible change rom 1 October.

If you live in Northern Ireland, you can save on your electricity bill (most can't save much by switching gas) by switching supplier or changing the way you pay for energy – some could slash £100s a year off their bill. Check our Cheap Northern Ireland energy guide for full info and options.