Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The risk of fuel poverty is influenced by a combination of fuel prices, weather, income and the heat efficiency of housing. My Department will continue to ensure those on low incomes and those who are more vulnerable to energy poverty are supported through the fuel allowance and the household benefits package. The fuel allowance is a payment of €22.50 per week for 26 weeks from October to April to more than 380,000 low income households at an estimated cost of €224 million in 2016. This payment assists these households with the higher energy costs that arise in that period. It is a contribution towards the energy costs of a household and is not intended to meet those costs in full. Only one allowance is paid per household.

My Department also pays an electricity or gas allowance as part of the household benefits package to more than 420,000 customers at an estimated cost of €228 million in 2016. Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, a special heating supplement may be paid to assist people in certain circumstances who have special heating needs due to ill health or infirmity. Exceptional needs payments may also be made to help meet an essential one-off cost which a person is unable to meet from his or her own resources.

The Government’s affordable energy strategy indicated that the best measure to address energy poverty is to improve the thermal efficiency of homes. The better energy warmer homes scheme, administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, funds energy efficiency improvements in the homes of the elderly and vulnerable, making their homes more comfortable, healthier and more cost-effective to heat.

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