What affects the price of heating oil?
Heating oil and kerosene are the same product in Ireland. Kerosene is just the technical term, you'll hear both used interchangeably. When your supplier quotes you a price, it's for the same fuel regardless of which name they use.
The price is set by three things: the global Brent crude oil market, the EUR/USD exchange rate (because oil is priced in dollars), and your supplier's margin. None of those are in your control. What is in your control is when you buy and how much you buy at once.
Prices are quoted in pence per litre (ppl) and move weekly. Typical range in recent years has been €0.85–€1.20 per litre, depending on timing, your location, and your order size. Parce doesn't have a live price feed, for current market rates, ask your local supplier directly or check with a few and compare.
€0.85–€1.20
Per litre, typical range
Varies by timing, location, and order size. Buy in spring for the lower end.
1,500–2,500L
Average annual use
Depends on house size, insulation quality, and boiler efficiency.
~€200
Potential seasonal saving
The difference between buying in May vs buying in December, on a 1,000L fill.
Seasonal demand, the biggest factor you can control
Heating oil is cheapest in spring and summer. October through February is peak demand. everyone needs oil at the same time, and suppliers know it. Prices reliably spike.
April through July is the window. Demand drops, storage facilities are at capacity, and suppliers are more competitive. A 1,000-litre fill in May can easily cost €150–€200 less than the same fill in November. Over several years, timing your orders consistently makes a real difference.
If cash flow is the issue, you can't afford a large spring fill when you don't urgently need the fuel, ask your supplier about a budget plan. Most will spread your estimated annual cost over 12 monthly payments. You lose some of the timing advantage but avoid the crunch of a large winter bill.
How oil prices move through the year
order in August →
Illustrative, based on typical seasonal demand patterns. Actual prices vary by supplier and location.
Order size matters
Minimum order is typically 500 litres. Price per litre drops meaningfully once you're ordering 900–1,000 litres or more. If you can, order in larger quantities, it's usually the same delivery cost for a bigger fill.
If your tank won't take a full 1,000-litre order, or if you're splitting costs, some rural households arrange a shared delivery with a neighbour in the same supplier area. You both get the volume discount rate on a single run. Worth a conversation if you're both with the same supplier.
Most Irish homes use 1,500–2,500 litres per year. A well-insulated house with a modern condensing boiler is at the lower end; an older, draughty house with a less efficient boiler sits at the top end or above. Insulation is the most effective way to bring annual oil use down, see parce.ie/grants for what's available.
Tank size and compliance
The standard domestic oil tank is 1,000 litres (plastic bunded) or up to 2,500 litres for larger steel tanks. Most homes built in the last 20 years have a plastic bunded tank.
A bunded tank is a tank within a tank, if the inner tank leaks, the outer skin contains the spill. Bunded tanks are now a legal requirement for new installations near water courses, and most planning authorities require them for all new domestic installations. If you're replacing an old single-skin tank, a bunded replacement is the only sensible option.
If your tank is more than 15 years old, have it inspected. An undetected leak is an environmental liability and potentially a legal one. Tank gauges can also be unreliable. get into the habit of physically checking the level before ordering, rather than relying on the gauge reading alone.
When to order, and when not to run out
Never let the tank drop below 10%. The sediment and sludge that accumulates at the bottom of any tank gets drawn into your system when levels are low. This clogs filters and can damage the boiler.
If you run out completely, you'll likely need an engineer to bleed and restart the system before it'll fire up again. That's a call-out fee on top of the emergency oil delivery, and in winter, those call-outs can take days to schedule.
Best time to buy: April to July.
Worst time to buy: October to January, unless you have no choice.
Verified Galway supplier, Naughton Oil
We're building a verified supplier network across Ireland. In Galway, we've confirmed Naughton Oil, a local, family-run supplier serving Galway City and county.
See the Galway oil page for details.
If you know a reliable supplier in your county, email hello@parce.ie, we'll verify them and add them to the right county page.
Thinking about switching away from oil?
If you're on oil heating and thinking about alternatives, there are a few realistic routes, each with SEAI grant support.
A heat pump can replace an oil boiler entirely. The SEAI grant is up to €6,500, and Ireland's mild maritime climate suits heat pumps well. See parce.ie/heat-pumps for an honest assessment of costs and suitability.
Improving your home's insulation doesn't change your fuel, but it meaningfully reduces how much oil you burn each year. Attic and cavity wall insulation are the highest-impact upgrades. SEAI grants are available for both.
If your boiler is more than 15 years old, a service is worth doing before anything else. an inefficient boiler burns more oil than it should. A boiler service guide is coming soon.
For a full overview of every SEAI grant available for switching from oil, see parce.ie/grants.
Estimated total
€675.00
Litres ordered
750L
Tank after
100%
💡 You could stretch to 900L if your tank allows — a larger order often means a lower price per litre.
Based on the price you enter above — your supplier's price will differ. Get a live quote before ordering.
I'll send one email in August when it's time to order before prices jump.
Common questions about heating oil in Ireland
Answers to what people most often want to know.
What's the difference between heating oil and kerosene?▾
They're the same product. In Ireland, domestic heating oil is kerosene, the technical name for the same fuel. You'll sometimes see it called "28-second oil" (a viscosity measure) or "home heating oil." All refer to the same thing. When your supplier quotes you a price, it doesn't matter which term they use.
How much heating oil does an average Irish home use per year?▾
Most Irish homes use between 1,500 and 2,500 litres of heating oil per year. A smaller, well-insulated house with a modern condensing boiler will be towards the lower end. A larger older house with poor insulation and an ageing boiler can exceed 2,500 litres. Improving your attic and wall insulation is the most effective way to reduce annual consumption, and SEAI grants are available to help cover the cost.
When is the cheapest time to buy heating oil in Ireland?▾
April through July. Demand is at its lowest during the warmer months, and suppliers are more competitive as a result. The difference between a spring fill and a winter fill can easily be €150–€200 on a 1,000-litre order. If you can build up a spring reserve while prices are low, you'll avoid the October–January peak. If cash flow is a constraint, ask your supplier about a budget plan that spreads costs across 12 months.
Is my oil tank compliant? Do I need a bunded tank?▾
If your tank was installed in the last 15–20 years, it's likely already a plastic bunded tank, a tank within a tank, designed to contain any leak before it reaches the ground. Bunded tanks are now a legal requirement for new installations near water courses, and most planning authorities require them for all new domestic oil tank installations. If you have an older single-skin tank, you don't have to replace it immediately, but if it's more than 15 years old, have it inspected. An undetected slow leak is an environmental and legal liability.
Can I get a grant to switch from oil heating?▾
Yes. SEAI offers a grant of up to €6,500 towards a heat pump, which can replace an oil boiler entirely. There are also grants for attic insulation, cavity wall insulation, and internal/external wall insulation, all of which reduce the amount of oil you burn even if you don't switch fuel. The One Stop Shop scheme on the SEAI website can coordinate the full upgrade process for you. See parce.ie/grants for a full breakdown of current grant amounts and eligibility.
What happens if I run out of heating oil?▾
You'll likely need an engineer to bleed and restart your heating system before it fires up again. Boilers that run dry can develop airlocks that prevent restart. This is a call-out fee on top of the emergency delivery charge, and in winter, both can be expensive and take days to arrange. The practical rule: never let the tank drop below 10%, and check the physical level regularly rather than relying on the gauge.
Related guides
- →Heat pumps IrelandReplace your oil boiler with a heat pump, costs, SEAI grant up to €6,500, and suitability guide.
- →SEAI home energy grantsEvery SEAI grant for switching from oil, heat pumps, insulation, and the One Stop Shop.
- →BER certificatesYour BER rating tells you exactly how energy-efficient your home is, and what to fix.
- →Solar panels IrelandGenerate your own electricity, real costs, SEAI grant, and how to choose an installer.