Launch Of Professor Christine Liddell’s Report “Defining Fuel Poverty In Northern Ireland – A Preliminary Review” - 6 September 2011

I want to thank the Pro Vice Chancellor and Professor Christine Liddel for the invitation to the launch of the report “Defining Fuel Poverty in Northern Ireland”.  I want to thank Professor Liddell and her colleagues for this very important research which I note is the first of three reviews being carried out in the UK.

I welcome the report which is timely given the recent increase in electricity prices. I am sure the findings and recommendations will generate much debate and this will be helpful in shaping how we tackle fuel poverty in the future.  

The research was commissioned by my Department as a key element of our new fuel poverty strategy.  I believe that it is vitally important for us to know who is impacted most by fuel poverty so we can target our resources at those householders who are most in need of help.

I note that the fuel poverty prevalence in Northern Ireland is 13% when measured using the twice median approach proposed in the report.  I believe this is a much more accurate reflection of what I believe the level of fuel poverty to be and brings more credibility to the concept.  Can I emphasise that this in no way diminishes the difficulties that I know many households in Northern Ireland face in paying their fuel bills.  What the report does do is highlight a core group of vulnerable people who really need help with their fuel bills.

The report is hugely beneficial in helping me to target resources at a core group of householders.  As the report indicates there are over 33,000 households in Northern Ireland which need to spend at least 25% of their income to heat their homes.  These are the people who need help most.

I believe the findings of this report could open up new opportunities for fuel poverty interventions which until now have not been possible.   I will be asking officials to evaluate how this impacts on our new fuel poverty strategy and if appropriate to bring forward new proposals.

I will now hand you back to Noel Williams who will chair a question and answer session with Professor Liddell and Dr Boardman.

Thank you