More than two in five Northern Irish adults are living in fuel poverty, according to new polling released by National Energy Action (NEA).
The polling, released on Fuel Poverty Awareness Day, showed a quarter of people went without heating or electricity at some point in the last year as they were unable to afford the costs.
The NEA defines a home as being fuel poor if it must spend 10% of its income “in order to maintain a satisfactory temperature”.
The survey was conducted by LucidTalk for NEA, and details the responses of 1,199 adults living in Northern Ireland.
The 27% of people who said they went without heat or electricity due to costs is a rise of 8% from the last time NEA conducted a survey in September 2023.
The survey revealed people were resorting to alternative methods to stay warm in their homes.
These methods include 36% of people who said they used coal fires or fan heaters, another 36% who say they sit in a cold house with blankets, hot water bottles or wearing coats and 9% of people who skip meals to afford heating.
Pat Austin, the director of NEA NI said: “Our new polling shows that too many people in Northern Ireland cannot stay warm, safe and healthy at home.
“They are going to bed early and in coats. They are racking up debt and they are struggling.
“The withdrawal of the Winter Fuel Payment and a woefully outdated fuel poverty strategy are piling pressure onto the most vulnerable households.
“The government must act with urgency and provide emergency support ahead of winter, alongside ensuring the promised fuel poverty strategy is appropriately funded and fit for purpose.”
Home heating oil is the fuel used by over two thirds of NI households. The most recent price checker from the NI Consumer Council showed that the average prices of 300, 500 and 900 litre purchases of oil have all increased in the last week, after generally declining in the past year.
A 300L purchase costs an average of £186 as of the latest figures, with a 500L buy priced at £288 on average and an average 900L fill-up was listed as £503.87.
Raymond Gormley, head of energy policy at the NI Consumer Council
Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph last week, Raymond Gormley, the head of energy policy at the NI Consumer Council, advised that people shop around to ensure they are getting the best deal on their energy costs.
To stay warm at home on a budget, Mr Gormley advised: “Don’t leave things on stand-by, turn off lights when you leave a room. Your temperature on your thermostat, can you keep it down to 21 degrees or lower?
“Obviously not everybody can do that. If you’re older, you might need more heat, but just be over your energy bills.
“Check your meter readings, submit them regularly.
“And for oil, check the Consumer Council’s weekly price checker. And so whenever you need oil, you have a good indication of what prices oil is, and you can phone around a few different suppliers and kind of barter between them, and get the best deal you can.”