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08/10/2003
Government strategy aims to tackle fuel poverty
Nearly one in every three families in Northern Ireland face difficulty in paying their fuel bills, a government Minister revealed today.
Social Development Minister, John Spellar's comments came at the launch of his department's consultation paper 'Towards a Fuel Poverty Strategy for Northern Ireland'.
The document aims to seek views on how Northern Ireland can tackle, and rid, a problem which affects 33% of all Northern Ireland households compared to 9% in England.
The Minister said: “The consultation paper we are launching today seeks views on how we should go about ridding Northern Ireland of this problem. It is vitally important that those with experience of living with fuel poverty and those who tackle it make their views known to the Department."
Today's consultation paper describes the main causes of fuel poverty such as low incomes, high fuel costs and poor energy efficiency.
The paper also discusses the evidence of serious health problems caused by the cold, particularly among vulnerable groups such as families with children, older people, and those who are sick or living with a disability, and it describes the types of work that is already being done to help.
About 61% of all Northern Ireland Housing Executive homes suffer fuel poverty, despite in many cases, relatively good standards of energy efficiency. Fuel poverty correlates very closely with low household income: 87% of households in fuel poverty have total incomes less than 10k per year.
(MB)
Social Development Minister, John Spellar's comments came at the launch of his department's consultation paper 'Towards a Fuel Poverty Strategy for Northern Ireland'.
The document aims to seek views on how Northern Ireland can tackle, and rid, a problem which affects 33% of all Northern Ireland households compared to 9% in England.
The Minister said: “The consultation paper we are launching today seeks views on how we should go about ridding Northern Ireland of this problem. It is vitally important that those with experience of living with fuel poverty and those who tackle it make their views known to the Department."
Today's consultation paper describes the main causes of fuel poverty such as low incomes, high fuel costs and poor energy efficiency.
The paper also discusses the evidence of serious health problems caused by the cold, particularly among vulnerable groups such as families with children, older people, and those who are sick or living with a disability, and it describes the types of work that is already being done to help.
About 61% of all Northern Ireland Housing Executive homes suffer fuel poverty, despite in many cases, relatively good standards of energy efficiency. Fuel poverty correlates very closely with low household income: 87% of households in fuel poverty have total incomes less than 10k per year.
(MB)
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Northern Ireland WeatherThis Evening and Tonight:A largely dry evening and night. It will be mostly cloudy, but a few clear spells are possible in the east during the evening. Some patchy rain across the west shortly before dawn. Minimum temperature 5 °C.
