With yet another cold winter forecast, ‘fuel poverty’ could become a very real problem for some Kilkenny households in the coming months.
Local Green Party councillor Malcolm Noonan has called on the council to set a target to end fuel poverty in Kilkenny.
“Fuel poverty is going to be one of the most significant challenges facing families,” he said.
“The last two winters were particularly cold, and for some families it really is a choice of food or fuel. I would be hoping that over a three year period we could take houses in blocks and upgrade them, improving energy efficiency. ”
This year, Kilkenny local authorities received a grant of €800,000 for energy efficiency works to existing vacant houses. In 2010, the grant totalled €1.25 million.
Cllr Noonan said that the cut to the budget meant the money would have to be found elsewhere.
“We need to look at investing some of the finance ourselves if the money is not there through the grant scheme,” he said.
Some of the works include the installation of attic and wall insulation, the upgrading of boilers, and the provision of room heaters, new windows and new doors. Areas such as the Newpark Close and Ossory Park are currently undergoing works, but other areas, such as the Butts, are in need of upgrades.
However energy efficiency upgrades can only be carried out on unoccupied premises. According to Kilkenny local authorities, just four houses a month become vacant.
Cllr Noonan said that this policy was not helping.
“It is frustrating for the people and it’s frustrating for the council,” he said.
“It’s rare that housing stock becomes available with the way things are at the moment.”
In previous years the retrofitting policy was reasonably flexible, but in the last two years it had become much more restrictive.
“It’s Government policy that eventually, all our houses will become more flexible,” said Mr Mullally, senior executive officer at Kilkenny County Council.
“Next year it may become more flexible.”
There are a number of causes of fuel poverty, including low income, the high cost of fuel, as well as housing with poor energy efficiency. It is seen as a growing problem nationally, and the statistics are not helped by a rise in both electricity and gas rates in recent times for both Airtricity and Bord Gais customers.
In addition, there were nearly 3,000 residential and commercial disconnections across Ireland in August alone, compared to an average of some 1,600 for the first six months of the year.
The Minister for Communications, Pat Rabitte, has said that families struggling with energy bills this winter would not be disconnected if they agreed to a ‘pay plan’ or the installation of a prepayment meter.
