Fuel poverty in Northern Ireland: Humanizing the plight of vulnerable households

Households in fuel poverty are unable to heat their homes at reasonable cost. Energy efficiency programmes aim to tackle fuel poverty and should target resources towards households in greatest need. Households often do not have access to these kinds of schemes, as policies do not acknowledge the complex interaction between households, incomes and domestic energy efficiency, and the high level of variability which results. This paper explores this interaction at household level, and the diversity of fuel poverty which results amongst households in Northern Ireland, a region particularly prone to fuel poverty. Survey data (N = 1595) are used to generate pen portraits for 18 households in varying degrees of fuel poverty. Eligibility for free energy efficiency improvements is assessed and the impacts of tailored interventions on fuel poverty are predicted. The results reveal diversity amongst fuel poor households and, in many instances, households in most severe fuel poverty do not fit the criteria for energy efficiency upgrades, despite standing to benefit from significantly reduced fuel poverty. The impacts of retrofitting are greatest for those in greatest need, but even the most generous package would leave a considerable number of households in fuel poverty, for which additional policy measures are required.