Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

82. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the steps he is taking to address fuel poverty in homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10134/24]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As I have said, people in this country are choosing between eating and heating and the Government's policy on addressing fuel poverty through retrofitting homes is either whole duck or no dinner, that is, to either do a deep retrofit or do nothing. That is not good enough. The ESRI report on energy poverty shows that 550,000 households, the equivalent of 1.3 million people, are in crisis as a result of energy poverty. We are failing these people every day.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

In December 2022, Government published the energy poverty action plan. The plan sets out the range of measures introduced to ensure that those least able to afford increased energy costs are protected and supported to adequately heat and power their homes. The implementation of the action plan is being monitored by a cross-departmental interagency steering group chaired by my Department.

The inaugural energy poverty stakeholder forum was held in July 2023. The forum provided a platform for stakeholders to collaborate, to assess progress on objectives from across the action plan and to share new ideas to combat energy poverty. A report on the recommendations and outcomes of the energy poverty stakeholder forum was published at gov.ie. An annual report outlining progress under the various actions in the plan will be published in the coming weeks and public consultation will soon commence on a revised action plan, to be published later this year.

To support households in the near term, Government approved a new tranche of electricity credits in budget 2024. Over 2.2 million households are benefiting from a total of €450 per household. Three payments of €150, including VAT, are being made between December 2023 and next month, April 2024, at a cost of just over €1 billion. The Government also provided for a suite of one-off social welfare financial supports to assist people with the cost of living, including a lump sum of €300 to all fuel allowance recipients in November 2023.

Ultimately, the best way to combat energy poverty in the long term will be to continue to make the investments we have already discussed to improve the energy efficiency of homes, to boost renewable energy adoption and to increase interconnection with Europe to help reduce electricity costs.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

In the first ten months of 2023, 724 GWh of wind energy were wasted due to curtailment. That is set to increase by about 15% over the coming years because of the way our grid is structured. The charity EnergyCloud has 75,000 households across the country that have signed up and are willing to have EnergyCloud's technology installed in their homes. This technology would provide them with a free tank of hot water when the wind is blowing and there is not a demand for the energy. EnergyCloud does not have the €300 per home to upgrade the 75,000 homes of people in fuel poverty to which I refer. Would the Minister consider working with EnergyCloud to facilitate it in doing that? Will he direct the SEAI to commission research to develop software that would allow this to happen through the use of our existing smart meters?

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I helped launch EnergyCloud in Clondalkin last year. I absolutely support the initiative. It is part of the solution to address energy poverty, to lower emissions and to make more efficient use of our renewable energy powers. The answer is "Yes", but the exact mechanisms in terms how it evolves and develops obviously must be within European and other laws. I absolutely believe it has a vital role to play and can be part of the solution to cut energy poverty, cut our emissions and enhance renewable power.

In the context of electricity consumers, we have spent a substantial amount of money installing smart meters in every home. to date, 1.6 million meters have been installed. Will the Minister give a commitment that he will ask the SEAI to commission research to use the technology that has been installed in homes so that it could be used to facilitate an initiative such as EnergyCloud or any other similar initiatives? A similar initiative is run by Glen Dimplex in using their innovative storage quantum heaters that could act as battery storage in this country, and provide an income for some of those homes in fuel poverty homes currently. Does the Minister believe that something is fundamentally wrong when we have 1.6 million smart meters installed and yet we have only 300,000 people registered to get the data? Why has the regulator not ensured that the development of the software and technology necessary to allow people to access that data?

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I want to join with my colleagues. We are all on the same committee. There are two very simple things. There is energy out there. However, we are turning off the wind turbines because we think there is nobody to use it. There is plenty of energy available. There are people who need hot water or who maybe could use that energy to do other things in the evening. Let us use technology to people's benefit.

The second point is one I do not understand. It will take years to refurbish every local authority house. I cannot understand why in the interim every local authority house is not getting solar panels as a separate parallel scheme. One does not interfere with the other. We need to be ruthlessly practical and we have to stop people coming up with all sorts of reasons not to do things. In this country, we have to adopt the motto of "Do it". If there are issues to be resolved then resolve them and do not use them as barriers.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I agree with all three Deputies. There is huge potential for us in the use of the smart metering system to improve both energy savings and the use of wind power and, in particular, solar power. I also agree that the application or the widespread deployment of solar will be a major part of the energy future, even in cloudy Ireland. I absolutely agree that all three of those initiatives are something we should advance at full speed and in every way we can.

Deputy Naughten referred to the SEAI, which has a role, but I also believe that the regulator has the key role. It has taken us time to get the scale of smart metering we now have but we are within sight to having universal access to smart metering. This then makes it much easier for us to be able to deploy them in a way that is much more effective and to increase the use of them for variable charging and other mechanisms that will see their real benefit coming through. I look forward to any recommendations from the committee in that regard. From my perspective that is exactly the direction we need to go. The characteristics of this new energy system is a balancing system where we really ramp up demand when the volume of renewable power is there and we manage it efficiently when it is not. I agree 100% with what the three Deputies said.