NEWS RELEASE

Monday 23 November 2009

Seminar focuses on tackling fuel poverty in Northern Ireland

A seminar organised by the Public Health Agency (PHA) and National Energy Action Northern Ireland (NEA NI) to address a Northern Ireland-wide approach to tackling fuel poverty will take place today.

Health Minister Michael McGimpsey welcomed the seminar as an important step towards helping vulnerable groups that experience fuel poverty.

“My Department is fully committed to addressing the impact of fuel poverty on the health of vulnerable groups, such as older people and children and families from low income groups. The Public Health Agency and its partners have a key role in reducing the impact fuel poverty has,” he said.

“We know that living in poorly heated homes can lead to respiratory and cardiovascular disease and that hospital admissions due to cold-related illnesses increase significantly during the winter months. The goal is to work with partners to make sure that every household that needs help with fuel poverty, gets that help.”

PHA Chief Executive Dr Eddie Rooney said: “Over £300,000 will be invested in 2009-2010 through the PHA’s Investing for Health Partnerships and Health Action Zones to tackle fuel poverty, which affects around 34% of Northern Ireland households.¹

“The funding will be channelled into areas such as Energy Efficiency Packs for older people, energy awareness accredited training, and ensuring that vulnerable people access schemes that replace inadequate heating schemes.

“With one in three households struggling to pay for the warmth required for good health and wellbeing, today’s seminar will provide participants with an important opportunity to learn from successful experiences to date and identify with NEA NI and our other partners, what else needs to be done.”

“The programmes being showcased at today’s seminar, demonstrate what can be done to reduce fuel poverty. We need to build on those successes and support every household that needs it.”

Pat Austin, Director of NEA NI, said: “The role of Investing for Health is crucial to ensuring that a high level of awareness exists regarding the devastating effects that fuel poverty has on health and wellbeing. This has led to a range of programmes developing under the umbrella of Investing for Health, showcased here today, that are tackling fuel poverty head on in all its guises.  It is vital that this excellent work continues and develops even further in the context of the restructuring of the health sector.”

The seminar will inform key stakeholders of the current fuel poverty agenda in Northern Ireland and plans to take that agenda forward. Presentations will be made by experts in the field of fuel poverty including Prof. Christine Liddell, University of Ulster and Angela Mawle, Chief Executive, United Kingdom Public Health Association.

ENDS

Notes to editor

The seminar will take place on Monday 23 November at Unison Building, York Street, Belfast.

Fuel poverty is a combination of three factors; low income, high fuel prices and lack of energy efficiency. A household is in fuel poverty if the occupants spend more than 10% of their income on all household fuel use. Those most at risk are private rented and NIHE tenants, lone parents, lone adults and lone older households.

Investing for Health is the public health strategy for Northern Ireland. It outlines a framework to initiate a dynamic, long-term process to improve health and wellbeing, reduce health inequalities and bring Northern Ireland health standards up to those of the best regions in Europe. One of the key objectives – the ‘living and working environment objective’ – identifies fuel poverty as an issue that adversely affects personal health and wellbeing and aims to “offer everyone the opportunity to live and work in a healthy environment and to live in a decent affordable home”.

NEA NI is the national energy action charity working in Northern Ireland to eradicate fuel poverty through campaigning and information. Over the past 15 years it has built up expertise in all aspects of the causes, consequences, nature and extent of fuel poverty.

For media enquires contact:

Public Health Agency, Ormeau Avenue Unit, on tel 028 9031 1611 and NEA NI on tel 90239909.

¹Northern Ireland Housing Executive. Northern Ireland House Condition Survey 2006. NIHE: Belfast, September 2008.