Fuel Poverty, is Your Home Warm Enough?
Many people in Northern Ireland find it difficult to heat their homes. Statistics from the Northern Ireland Housing Executive’s House Condition Survey of 2001 indicated that 48,320 households within the Northern Health & Social Services Board area are fuel poor with an estimated 4,070 of these in the Ballymoney Borough Council area equating to 45.4% of total households.
Fuel poverty is defined as the situation in which a household has to spend more than 10% of its income on fuel to maintain an acceptable level of temperature throughout the home. This is generally accepted as 21oC in the living room and 18oC in other occupied rooms.
Causes Of Fuel Poverty
The causes of fuel poverty are poor housing stock, inadequate heating systems, poorly insulated and draughty homes, snaps of cold weather, a need for higher temperatures, low income, debt and high fuel prices.
Who Is At Risk?
- Older people
- People with a disability
- Young children and babies
- People living on low incomes
Where Does The Heat Go?
Visit the Energy Saving Trust’s interactive house to find out how energy efficient your home is:
www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/whatcanidotoday/howefficientisyourhome
Visit the Energy Saving Trust’s website and do an online home energy check to find out how you can save energy and money:
www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/proxy/view/full/165/homeenergycheck/?action=view
Other Help
Benefit Checks
Many people do not claim all the benefits they are entitled to. Advice agencies can do benefit checks to help people maximise their incomes. Maximising income can help reduce fuel poverty and entitlement to certain social security benefits can be a passport to grants to make homes warmer.
Useful telephone contacts for benefit checks are:
Social Security Agency Tel: 028 2766 0100
Phone lines open: 9am to 5pm Monday to Wednesday
10am to 5pm Thursday
9am to 5pm Friday
Or visit our office:
37-45 John Street
Ballymoney
BT53 6DT
Office open to the public from:
9am to 4.30pm Monday to Wednesday
1am - 4.30pm Thursday
9am - 4.30pm Friday
Or visit the SSA website at:
www.dsdni.gov.uk/index/ssa.htm
Citizen’s Advice Bureau
Coleraine CAB: 028 7034 4817
Outreach sessions at Ballymoney Town Hall every Wednesday and Thursday from 9.30am to 12.30pm and 1.15pm to 4.00pm.
Or visit the CAB website at:
www.citizensadvice.org.uk
Age Concern NI Advice Line: 028 9032 5055
Help the Aged SeniorLine: 0808 808 7575
