NEA NI’s Response to the Consultation on Department for Communities Budget 2024-25 allocations
Date: 03rd Sep 2024
Fuel poverty has not been specifically identified in Section 7 of this EQIA Consultation document as an adverse impact to Section 75 equality groups.
While poverty in a general sense has been identified in places, it is our view that it is important to identify fuel poverty specifically to provide a fuller consideration of how Section 75 equality groups are likely to be impacted by the budget proposals.
While anyone can be impacted by fuel poverty, certain groups are especially vulnerable. The primary factors which cause fuel poverty are widely agreed to be low household incomes, high energy costs and energy inefficient homes and energy related behaviour. As such, any budget decision that will increase strain on household incomes (e.g. the decision to restrict the Winter Fuel Payment to those on certain benefits and pension credit) or reduce efforts to improve domestic energy efficiency (e.g. reduced funding for the Affordable Warmth Scheme) has the potential to worsen/fail to tackle fuel poverty in Northern Ireland.
This has equality implications since older people, babies and young children, adults with disabilities or long-term health conditions, individuals who are socially isolated, carers and dependents, are among those most vulnerable to fuel poverty and its impacts.
You can download the full response from the link under ‘Resources’.
The Fuel Poverty Coalition NI's Response to the Department for Communities: Consultation on a new Fuel Poverty Strategy for Northern Ireland
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We are pleased that the Utility Regulator (UR) is continuing to look at ways the standards of customer service in the energy supply sector can be improved.
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