The heat is being turned up on the DUP - and there's not even a bonfire or RHI boiler in sight.
As temperatures soar in Northern Ireland's sweltering summer, the Secretary of State has formally asked Stormont officials to set out revenue-raising options.
The move by Chris Heaton-Harris is being widely seen as ramping up pressure on the DUP to end its power-sharing boycott.
While the Secretary of State denies this is the intention, there is no doubt the decision ups the ante.
At the very least it will be seized upon by other parties to further chastise the DUP for continuing to block Stormont over Brexit's Northern Ireland Protocol.
Even this vague hint of water charges, prescription costs and tuition fees on the horizon is an opportunity for rivals to lambast the Tories and argue all would be well if devolution returned.
But Sir Jeffrey Donaldson's party has faced down such criticism in the past, particularly over delays to energy support payments, and emerged pretty unscathed electorally within unionism. Could this time be any different?
Mr Heaton-Harris fully admits he currently has no power to impose revenue-raising measures himself, meaning his instruction to civil servants amounts to little more than a paper exercise.
He said the move, with a deadline of the end of June for the information to be provided, is to provide possible options for a future Executive.
However, he said he would not rule anything out if the devolved government does not return - leaving open the potential of further intervention.
By returning focus to revenue-raising, the announcement seeks to counteract claims that Stormont is not receiving enough funding from the Treasury.
Stormont officials estimate departments face an £800million funding gap this financial year, while the Northern Ireland Fiscal Council said the budget means overall funding for departments will be cut by 3.3% in real terms.
But the Northern Ireland Office said that the Executive's public spending per person is around 20% higher than the equivalent UK Government spending in the rest of the UK.
And unlike other parts of the UK, Northern Ireland has no direct charges for domestic water and medical prescriptions, and substantially lower university student tuition fees.
With parties calling for around £1billion extra funding for Northern Ireland, the starting positions are being laid for a negotiation on a financial package which may help smooth a return to Stormont.
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