Thu, 05 Feb 2026

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 'My bills are lower and I'm warmer in energy efficient home'

179,000 households meet the Department for Communities' fuel poverty criteria, spending at least 10% of their income to cover domestic energy bills.

* 179,000 households in Northern Ireland spend at least 10% of their income on energy bills.
* A new scheme aims to fund energy-efficient upgrades for low-income households with £150m allocated over five years.
* The Warm Healthy Homes Strategy will also introduce minimum energy efficiency targets for rental properties and increase the decent homes standard.
* Whole-house renovations, like the one at Trevor Rainey's home, are being targeted to lift households out of fuel poverty, rather than piecemeal upgrades.
* The average cost per home renovation is expected to be higher than in previous schemes, but an exact figure was not provided.
* A target number for home renovations has not been set, and officials acknowledge that the scheme's success will be difficult to measure.
* Communities Minister Gordon Lyons said the investment is essential to combating fuel poverty, and that the fund will "transform low-income households".
* An annual statement will provide updates on the scheme's progress, and new publications will detail the incidence of household damp and personal experiences of fuel poverty.
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