Polling conducted for National Energy Action NI in September 2024 found that as many as 40% of households in Northern Ireland are living in fuel poverty, according to the Fuel Poverty Coalition NI1. The figure appears in the coalition's response to the Department for Communities consultation on a new fuel poverty strategy for Northern Ireland, published on 5 March 20251.
The coalition, which describes itself as united by an ambition to highlight the need for urgent action to eradicate fuel poverty in Northern Ireland, said the polling was carried out in September 20241. The same figure is cited in the coalition's summary of its position on the draft strategy1. No further breakdown of the polling by household type, tenure, region or income has been reported1.
The response welcomes the draft strategy's objectives, outcomes and actions, but criticises the absence of measurable goals. The coalition also calls for funding and an implementation plan to accompany the finalised strategy1.
"In summary, the FPC welcomes the draft strategy's key objectives, proposed outcomes, and actions but is disappointed by the absence of specific, measurable targets, especially a clear target for reducing fuel poverty."
The coalition said it published a joint report in 2023 setting out what it considered should be the key strategic priorities and action points for a new fuel poverty strategy for Northern Ireland, and that its members have since engaged with the Department for Communities and the wider Executive1.
Why it matters for households
A fuel poverty rate of 40% would mean that, on the polling figure, around two in five Northern Ireland households are living in a home that is expensive to heat relative to income1. For a household, that shapes the practical choices around heating: how many hours a day a heating system runs, which rooms are heated, and whether a home can be kept at a comfortable temperature through cold spells. It also bears on a home's energy independence, because a household that cannot afford to run its heating is dependent on whatever help, tariff or payment arrangement it can access, rather than on its own ability to pay for the energy it uses.
The measurement of fuel poverty differs across the UK, so the 40% figure is specific to Northern Ireland and to the polling method used1. How fuel poverty is defined and measured in Northern Ireland is set out in our guide to fuel poverty in Northern Ireland, and the wider UK picture is covered in fuel poverty in UK households. Households seeking advice can approach NI Energy Advice or the free home energy advice service in Northern Ireland; National Energy Action, the charity behind the polling, is profiled in our getting started guide.
What happens next
The coalition's response was submitted to the Department for Communities consultation on the draft fuel poverty strategy1. The coalition has urged that the finalised strategy be backed by comprehensive funding and a detailed action plan for effective implementation1. No date for publication of the final strategy, and no response from the Department for Communities to the consultation, has been reported1.