Starmer vows to crack down on 'profiteering' from fuel crisis

"Global instability has real impacts on the lives of working people across the UK, and I know families in Northern Ireland are worried about what the war in the Middle East could mean for their finances. Let me be clear we will not tolerate profiteering or unfair practices. If companies fleece customers or rip them off we will not hesitate to step in."

"Recognising the majority of households in Northern Ireland rely on heating oil, the prime minister said prices must be fair transparent and justifiable and not inflated at the expense of working people."

"The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it will be engaging with suppliers and intermediaries to see whether there are consumer protection law concerns. It said it would look specifically at whether existing oil orders were being cancelled, with customers then offered new quotes at higher prices."

Sir Keir Starmer visited Northern Ireland to address fuel price concerns, vowing to crack down on companies profiteering from heating oil price increases triggered by Middle East instability. With 62.5% of Northern Ireland households relying on heating oil—the highest proportion in the UK—prices have more than doubled since recent geopolitical events. The prime minister stated prices must be fair, transparent, and justifiable, warning that government will act if companies fleece customers. The Competition and Markets Authority will investigate suppliers and intermediaries for potential consumer protection violations, specifically examining whether existing orders are cancelled and replaced with inflated quotes. Starmer emphasized the government will not tolerate unfair practices or profiteering affecting working people's finances.

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