Consultation
Energy Poverty Strategy Review
From Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications
Published on
Open for submissions from
Submissions closed
Last updated on
Consultation is closed
Energy poverty is a complex issue linked to a household’s income, the energy performance of their home, and the cost of the energy used to heat, power and ventilate their home.
The Strategy to Combat Energy Poverty, published in 2016, set out a number of actions aimed at alleviating the burden of energy poverty on the most vulnerable in society. It reflected the growing connection between alleviating energy poverty and achieving national climate action objectives. In this regard, one of the Strategy's main objectives was to address energy poverty through improving the energy efficiency of the homes of those most at risk.
We have carried out a Progress Review, setting out the actions taken, and achievements made since 2016 under each of the key focus areas outlined in the Strategy. It shows that Government policies implemented since the Strategy was published are delivering on the Strategy’s objectives, and, in many cases, have gone beyond what the Strategy set out to achieve.
Despite the progress made against the actions in the strategy, recent estimates by the ESRI, using one method of measuring energy poverty, have indicated that up to 29.4% of households could be at risk of energy poverty, due to increases in the cost of living and energy prices in particular. Using this approach, a household is deemed fuel-poor if they spend more than 10% of their disposable income on energy services (electricity, heating oil, gas or solid fuels).
The National Energy Security Framework sets out how Government can manage the impact of energy security emergencies on consumers, especially those who are more vulnerable. Response 6 of the National Energy Security Framework will see a package of measures to enhance protections for financially vulnerable customers and customers in debt implemented by Quarter 3 - ahead of the next heating season.
However, it is important that energy poverty is addressed in the medium to long term as well as through more immediate short term supports. Recognising these new challenges and the need for continued action, a new, revised Energy Poverty Action Plan is now being developed. The Plan will continue to deliver on the Strategy’s objectives through medium- and longer-term measures to alleviate energy poverty, as well as outlining the shorter more immediate measures needed to ensure winter-readiness for those at risk of energy poverty.
To assist and inform the development of the Action Plan, we are now inviting stakeholders to respond to a number of public consultation questions in the final section of the Review (page 40). The consultation questions can also be found in the second document below.
Strategy to Combat Energy Poverty – Progress Review and Public Consultation
Download link for
Download
View the file
View
The closing date for submissions is 5.30pm on Monday 5 September 2022
Submissions should be sent by email to Energy.Efficiency@decc.gov.ie or by post to:
Energy Poverty Consultation
Residential Energy Efficiency Division
Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications
29-31 Adelaide Road
Dublin D02 X285
We are committed to engaging with stakeholders in a clear, open and transparent manner. Any person or organisation can make a submission in relation to this consultation. All submissions and feedback will be considered before the Energy Poverty Action Plan is published.
Please note that responses to this consultation are subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2014 (FOI), Access to Information on the Environment Regulations 2007-2018 (AIE) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
Please also note that we intend to publish the contents of all submissions received to our consultations on our website. We will redact personal data prior to publication. In responding to this consultation, parties should clearly indicate where their responses contain personal information, commercially sensitive information or confidential information which they would not wish to be released under FOI, AIE or otherwise published.
We would like to draw your attention to our Data Privacy Notice which explains how and when we collect personal data, why we do so and how we treat this information. It also explains your rights in relation to the collection of personal information and how you can exercise those rights.