LucidTalk – NEA NI: September 2023 – Northern Ireland (NI) Attitudinal Poll

In the absence of a functioning Northern Ireland Executive, our local councils have a considerable role to play in supporting fuel poor homes. Ahead of the upcoming local council elections, NEA are calling on candidates and parties to commit to tackling Fuel Poverty in their communities by supporting 3 key pledges, which are detailed in our Local Election Manifesto 2023.

LucidTalk – NEA NI: Northern Ireland (NI) Omnibus Poll Question Results General Report

This year’s UKFPM identifies the opportunities associated with decarbonising heat for fuel poor households; the barriers they face in doing so; the likely risks of the decarbonisation agenda for them; and which policy developments and interventions are required to ensure that the decarbonisation of domestic heating can be fair and affordable.

A practical guide to help MPs, MLAs, local councillors, health professionals and advice workers answer queries on energy bills, heating, home insulation and energy efficiency.

This year’s UK Fuel Poverty Monitor (UKFPM) reviews the events that have resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic, and how they have impacted vulnerable energy consumers and the organisations that look to support them, cataloguing the response to this challenge from these organisations. It concludes with an investigation of the policies, strategies and other key actions that are urgently needed to address the impact of the pandemic this winter and beyond.

Based on the 2016 House Condition Survey (HCS), Northern Ireland has a rate of fuel poverty at 22%. It is also estimated that there are approximately 43,800 households in extreme fuel poverty which means they need to spend over 15% of their total income to heat their homes. Additionally, one in five households in Northern Ireland are living in relative poverty and 19% of working age adults in the private rented sector spend more than a third of their income on housing.

The challenge for most charities is to do remarkable things in testing circumstances. That is certainly true for NEA and the results can be seen in this report.

This year, the focus of the Monitor is on progress in delivering existing fuel poverty strategies in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.