Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 24 February 2022
112. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when the Strategy to Combat Energy Poverty 2016-2019 will be updated; when the review of the implementation of the Strategy to Combat Energy Poverty will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9363/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraEnergy poverty or fuel poverty is influenced by, inter alia, a person’s income, the energy efficiency of their home and the cost of the energy they use in their home. The Government’s Strategy to Combat Energy Poverty was published in 2016 and progress includes:
- Funding for SEAI's free energy poverty retrofit schemes has increased almost 8 fold over the period from €15 million in 2015 to over €118 million this year;
- The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage will invest a further €85 million as part of the Social Housing Retrofit Programme this year;
- The Fuel Allowance has increased from €20 per week in 2014/15 to €33 per week for 2021/22 or €924 per year, and the eligibility criteria for the payment, was expanded by the Minister for Social Protection.
- The Housing for All Strategy has committed to introducing minimum Building Energy Rating standards for rental properties, where feasible, from 2025; and,
Protections are in place for customers falling into arrears on their energy bills.
Research published in 2016 found that 28% of households in Ireland would need to spend more than 10% of their income on their energy needs. More recently, the ESRI carried out an analysis of the number of households at risk of experiencing energy poverty. This showed that the share of households needing to spend more than 10% of their income on their energy needs was 17.5% in 2020. The Survey on Income and Living Conditions indicates that the proportion of people who reported that they are unable to afford to keep their home adequately warm, had fallen from 9% in 2015 to 3.4% in 2020.
In light of increased energy bills more recently, the Government has announced a package of supports which include:
- a number of changes to the Warmer Homes Scheme to increase eligibility and better target the support available to those most in need first in line with commitments set out in the National Retrofit Plan;
- the introduction of an emergency payment which will provide a €200 credit to all domestic electricity accounts;
- increased grants for attic and cavity wall insulation, covering 80% of the cost to homeowners of these highly cost-effective upgrade measures; and;
- a lump sum payment of €125 on the fuel allowance to be paid in early March to 390,000 recipients.
A review of the implementation of the Strategy to Combat Energy Poverty will be completed in the coming months to inform future policy in this area.
