National Energy Action Northern Ireland (NEA NI)

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Fuel poverty in Northern Ireland

National Energy Action Northern Ireland (NEA NI) is based in Belfast and is led by Director of NEA NI Pat Austin.

Fuel poverty is devastating no matter where you live in the UK. However, the way fuel poverty is measured differs depending on which UK nation you live in and so too does the help and support you could receive. Northern Ireland differs from the rest of the UK in that it is part of a different energy market, shared with the Republic of Ireland, and the majority of homes (61%) use oil heating.

How is fuel poverty defined in Northern Ireland

A household in Northern Ireland is regarded as being in fuel poverty if it is required to spend more than 10% of its income on fuel.

The most recent official estimate of fuel poverty in Northern Ireland was 27% in 2022, based on the 2016 House Condition Survey. However, in September 2025 National Energy Action commissioned market research company LucidTalk to undertake an NI-wide representative poll to evaluate the impacts of rising energy prices on households.

This poll found that 39% of households in Northern Ireland were in fuel poverty.

Support, Awareness, Change

Together, with members and partners in Northern Ireland, we:

Advocate to improve the support available for fuel poor households

We work with the UK government, Northern Ireland Executive, Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), local councillors, and others. In June 2024, we published a Manifesto for Warm Homes 2024 for the General Elections, asking parties and candidates to commit to three key actions at Westminster to tackle fuel poverty in Northern Ireland.

We’ve compiled Fact Sheets for each of Northern Ireland’s 11 Local Government Districts. These provide a picture of some of the drivers and impacts of fuel poverty in each area, and outline our current policy recommendations for the NI Executive, Assembly and local councils.

We respond to consultations, such as the Department for Communities’ Consultation on a new Fuel Poverty Strategy for Northern Ireland, and commission an annual LucidTalk Poll to measure the extent of fuel poverty in Northern Ireland.

We also publish a newsletter and send it to our stakeholders by email. If you are an NEA NI stakeholder and want to be added to our mailing list, please subscribe.

Convene and provide platforms for experts and policymakers to come together

We do not work alone. Partnerships and collaboration have been at our heart for over 40 years, helping us drive better health and wellbeing outcomes.

In Northern Ireland, we chair the Fuel Poverty Coalition (FPC) NI and serve as the secretariat to the All-Party Group on Fuel Poverty in the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Established in 2010, the Fuel Poverty Coalition NI brings together a breadth of organisations and individuals across the voluntary, statutory, business and private sectors. All are united by the fact that they wish to highlight the urgent action needed to eradicate fuel poverty in Northern Ireland.

If you want to be added to the FPC NI mailing list, please subscribe.

Provide training and national qualifications to individuals and organisations looking to provide energy advice

We deliver accredited training to improve standards in energy advice across Northern Ireland. Our training courses cover key areas such as assisting households with fuel poverty, fuel debt, and practical energy efficiency advice. Many of our learners work in front-line advice and support roles, where they interact with vulnerable people.

To find out more about our courses and webinars, please go to our Northern Ireland Training page.

Work with partners to help support low-income and vulnerable households in need

Including via our Belfast Warm and Well Project, which aims to help local people struggling to keep their homes warm, by offering advice and practical support to stay warm and well.

Our Energy Advice leaflets, specifically tailored to Northern Ireland, provide information and advice on how to keep your home warm, healthy and safe.

We provide energy efficiency talks to community groups, and we also attend community and information events. Please contact us if you would like to organise a talk in your area.