Beggs Highlights how NIHE is contributing to Fuel Poverty

Roy Beggs MLA has highlighted the unacceptability of the Housing Executive's continuing reliance on expensive basic electricity to heat 201 of their homes and how they themselves are contributing to fuel poverty.

Roy Beggs said "I became aware of a constituent who has no option but using his 13 amp plugs to heat his home as no alternative form of heating has been provided. In response to my assembly question, they have advised me that 201 Housing Executive tenants are in a similar situation. In effect, the Housing Executive are forcing some of their tenants to pay significantly larger sums to heat their homes, therefore creating fuel poverty. I find this unacceptable given their responsibility for social housing and fighting fuel poverty through programmes such as the Warm Homes Schemes. I have tabled a further question seeking clarification on when the Housing Executive will upgrade these 201 homes to more efficient forms of heating. I believe these homes should be upgraded as a matter of priority."

The Ulster Unionist Assembly member tabled a question to the department for Social Development (AQW 4787/10) asking for a breakdown of homes under Housing Executive ownership that currently relies on Economy 7 heating and on basic electricity heating.

District Office	Economy 7 Heating	Basic Electric Heating
NEWTOWNABBEY 1	463	3
NEWTOWNABBEY 2	292	0
CARRICKFERGUS	160	17
LARNE	256	0

Basic electricity heating using conventional 13 amp plugs will incur a substantially larger fuel bill than oil or gas heating. The figures given in response to the question showed that a significant amount of homes including 102 homes in Castlereagh, 25 in Lisburn (Antrim), 17 in Carrickfergus and 15 in West Belfast were still using basic electricity heating to warm their homes.

Mr Beggs, a member of the committee for the Environment said "Basic electricity is also one of the least efficient means of heating and is therefore wasting limited energy resources and contributing to unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions."

The assembly answer also revealed that a further 11, 051 NIHE homes are heated by Economy 7.

Mr Beggs went on to say "The Economy 7 heating system is also not the most cost efficient heating option and I welcome the fact that they are continuing to phase out Economy 7 and to offer alternative forms of heating."

Note to Editor: See attached Assembly Question. (AQW 4787/10)

To ask the Minister for Social Development how many Housing Executive properties are currently reliant on (i) Economy 7 heating; and (ii) basic electricity for heating in each Housing Executive district; and what plans she has to replace these with more efficient heating systems.

The table below details the Economy 7 heating systems and basic electric heating systems in Housing Executive properties by district office. Replacement of existing heating schemes is carried out on a planned basis where Economy 7 exists in an estate undergoing heating replacements. Tenants are offered the opportunity to switch to oil or gas where available but may opt to retain Economy 7 and significant numbers do so for reasons of convenience. The Housing Executive has provisionally planned to replace a further 624 Economy 7 heating systems in 2010/11, although this will be dependant on the availability of funding. It also plans to offer replacement heating to remaining Economy 7 users over the next five years.

District Office	Economy 7 Heating	Basic Electric Heating
WEST BELFAST	471	15
EAST BELFAST	473	2
SOUTH BELFAST	390	5
NORTH BELFAST	862	1
SHANKILL	302	3
BALLYMENA	512	5
ANTRIM	327	0
NEWTOWNABBEY 1	463	3
NEWTOWNABBEY 2	292	0
CARRICKFERGUS	160	17
LARNE	256	0
BALLYCASTLE	11	0
BALLYMONEY	91	0
COLERAINE	524	3
BANBRIDGE	106	0
NEWRY	264	0
ARMAGH	195	0
LURGAN BROWNLOW	543	2
PORTADOWN	316	0
DUNGANNON	109	1
FERMANAGH	142	0
BANGOR	560	7
NEWTOWNARDS	449	6
CASTLEREAGH	1088	102
LISBURN ANTRIM	638	25
LISBURN DAIRYFARM 34 0	34	0
DOWNPATRICK 344 0	344	0
WATERLOO PLACE 241 0	241	0
WATERSIDE 219 0	219	0
COLLON TERRACE 313 1	313	1
LIMAVADY 145 0	145	0
MAGHERAFELT 53 1	53	1
STRABANE 17 0	17	0
OMAGH 84 0	84	0
COOKSTOWN 57 2	57	2
	11051	201