Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 31 January 2013
19. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the progress that has been made with the warmer homes strategy; if any changes have been made to the eligibility criteria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4745/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Affordable Energy Strategy was developed by the Inter-Departmental/Agency Group on Affordable Energy (IDGAE) and published in November 2011 as part of the Department’s commitment in the Programme for Government to help mitigate energy poverty. The Strategy is key to protecting the most vulnerable in our society who may be at risk to energy poverty and provides a framework for building upon the many measures already in place
There are forty-eight actions identified in the strategy that are being implemented over the lifetime of the report (3 years), including five priority measures: a commitment to review the National Fuel Scheme in the context of examining the feasibility of aligning income supports with the energy efficiency and income of the home, the phased introduction of minimal thermal efficiency standards for rental accommodation, ensuring greater access to energy efficiency measures, the introduction of an area based approach and reforming the eligibility criteria for energy efficiency schemes.
Work is being progressed by the IDGAE on the implementation of all the actions contained in the strategy. Reform of the eligibility criteria to address households in extreme energy poverty (those who spend over 20% of their disposable income on energy services) was undertaken in 2012. Prior to this, applicants were considered eligible for retrofit measures if they met defined criteria such as eligibility for the National Fuel Scheme. The IDGAE worked with key stakeholders to establish new eligibility criteria to target those most in need. International research demonstrates that the elderly and pre-school children are most at risk. Taking this on board the criteria were revised to include; Fuel Allowance recipients; Job Seeker Allowance recipients (for over six months and with children under 7 years of age) and; recipients of Family Income Support.
An area-based approach was introduced in 2012 and Exchequer funding of €3 million was ring fenced for this purpose. The Fuel Allowance was reviewed by the Department of Social Protection as part of the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure in 2011 and in the context of the preparations for Budget 2013. Work is on-going to collect additional data as part of the process to re-define categories of energy poverty and future policy initiatives will benefit from an improved understanding of energy poverty prevalence.
The Better Energy Warmer Homes programme is a pivotal element of the Affordable Energy Strategy. The energy efficiency measures are targeted at low income families and will make a lasting impact on households experiencing energy poverty. Exchequer funding of over €101 million has been allocated to the programme since 2000, which has successfully delivered energy efficiency measures to 92,563 homes through a combination of community based organisations, private contractors and via an area based approach. In 2012 the programme delivered over 12,175 energy saving measures to homes in energy poverty. Despite the current economic challenges, the Government is committed to continuing to deliver energy efficiency measures to vulnerable households. The Better Energy Warmer Homes scheme has been allocated Exchequer funding of €20 million for 2013, which is expected to result in upgrades in over 10,000 homes.
