Fine Gael has called on oil companies to pass savings on to customers after oil prices fell to close to $100 a barrel last week.
Fine Gael Parliamentary Party Chairman Tom Hayes said oil companies should "begin treating customers with respect by passing the saving in the price of oil in recent weeks onto the consumer."
“Consumers all over this country are being treated unfairly by oil companies. After a series of hikes in the price of a barrel of oil over the last twelve months, the price finally has been dropping steadily in recent weeks."
"Oil companies are slow to pass these savings on to the general public though and I am calling on them to begin treating their customer with the respect they deserve," he said.
Oil rose to about $102 (€72) a barrel on Friday, underpinned by the threat of Hurricane Ike to oil refineries in the US, the world's biggest energy consumer.
Traders say oil prices have tumbled about 30 per cent from their mid-July peak because of softening demand and a recent resurgence in the value of the US dollar against other currencies.
Meanwhile, the Labour Party said the adverse weather this summer has emphasised the need for the immediate introduction of a fuel poverty strategy by the Government.
"Despite the reduction in the price of a barrel of oil, the cost of gas and electricity is likely to remain at historically high levels during the winter months, causing real hardship for the elderly and families on low incomes," said the party's energy spokeswoman Liz McManus.
She said up to 60,000 households were experiencing persistent fuel poverty and noted that Age Action Ireland has suggested that as many as 2,000 people could die this winter because they simply cannot heat their homes.
"The Government has not been treating the problem of fuel poverty with the seriousness it deserves," the Wicklow TD said, calling for fuel allowances to be increased and extended to cover all periods of bad weather.