SVP Quarterly Review of National Social Issues
“In what should be a time of reducing energy costs, more and more households are vulnerable to fuel poverty.”
The Society of St Vincent de Paul has assessed the situation for families struggling with what amounts to fuel poverty around the country and has given its findings to the Commission for Energy Regulation in a submission on the “Electricity and Gas Codes of Practice Guidance for Suppliers.”
The preparation of the Code of Practice for Energy Suppliers coincides with a difficult time for many Irish households. Through the Society’s work on the ground, it has extensive experience of the harsh reality of families faced with a series of bills they cannot pay. A flexible and understanding attitude is required towards those households experiencing financial hardship.
The SVP has long experience of working with established energy suppliers and acknowledges their efforts to assist the financially vulnerable and their responsiveness in doing so. The Society’s role is to encourage and support those experiencing difficulties to establish and honour payment plans.
The Social Justice and Policy Committee, a national Committee of the SVP, gathers information from members in local areas throughout the country through its “From the Ground Up” system. This has revealed that requests for assistance with energy and fuel include the need for help with electricity and gas bills, requests for bottled gas, bags of coal and support with heating and fuel generally.
The Committee has told the Commission for Energy Regulation: “There is an irony that, in what should be a time of reducing energy costs, more and more households are vulnerable to fuel poverty.”
The SVP spends nearly €4m. per annum on fuel assistance. An analysis of requests for assistance received across the country reveals that requests for food and fuel amount to between one-third and a half of all assistance sought.
Full details of the SVP submission to the Commission for Energy Regulation are on the SVP national website at www.svp.ie