NEA NI Response to the Department for Communities’ Consultation on a new Fuel Poverty Strategy for Northern Ireland
Date: 26th Feb 2025

NEA NI has long advocated for an updated Fuel Poverty Strategy, as there is a clear need for a strategic, cross-departmental, and cross-sectoral approach to tackle Northern Ireland’s fuel poverty crisis. Indeed, polling conducted for NEA NI in September 2024 revealed that as many as 40% of NI households are now living in fuel poverty.
In 2023, the Fuel Poverty Coalition (FPC) NI, chaired by NEA NI, published a joint report outlining key strategic priorities and action points for a new Fuel Poverty Strategy. Since then, we have continued to press for action and engaged extensively with the Department for Communities (DfC) and the wider Executive, including as members of DfC’s Fuel Poverty and Just Transition Reference Panel. We commend the DfC Climate Change Division team on their thorough stakeholder engagement throughout the development of this draft strategy.
In summary, NEA NI welcomes the draft strategy’s key objectives, proposed outcomes, and actions. However, we are disappointed by the lack of specific, measurable targets – particularly a clear target for reducing fuel poverty. We also urge that the finalised strategy is backed by comprehensive funding and a detailed action plan for effective implementation.
You can download the full response from the link under ‘Resources’.
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