THE COST OF coal, briquettes and peat is set to rise today under the new carbon tax on solid fuels.

Up until now, solid fuels had escaped the carbon tax, but the Government announced in Budget 2013 that the scheme would be extended to peat and coal on a phased basis.

The rate of tax will be €10 per tonne, rising to €20 per tonne in May 2014.

The move will affect people who use fossil fuels to heat their homes, with a 40kg bag of coal costing around €1.20 more from today.

Ireland was one of the first countries in the EU to introduce a carbon tax in 2010 which covered fuel oil, natural gas and other non-solid fuels.

The hardware industry has said that people may turn to Northern Ireland to buy fuel to avoid having to pay the extra cost.