Executive to consider £55m scheme to help with rising energy costs

Deirdre Hargey will bring a paper to the Executive on Thursday.

Rising energy costs have left many people struggling to heat their homes this winter (Peter Byrne/PA) (PA Archive)

Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey is to bring a proposed £55 million scheme aimed at helping people heat their homes to the Northern Ireland Executive for approval on Thursday.

Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill confirmed that the scheme would be considered at the Executive in a video message posted on Twitter.

She said: “Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey will propose a scheme to the Executive tomorrow to help 280,000 people heat their homes.

“Today I met with the Utilities Regulator and Consumer Council on the need to reduce household energy costs.

“People must be supported as the cost of living rises.”

Stormont Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey will bring a paper on a relief scheme for rising energy costs to the Executive on Thursday (Rebecca Black/PA (PA Wire)

Deirdre Hargey told the BBC: “I will be bringing to the Executive tomorrow a paper for an additional £55 million which will see a direct payment going to hundreds of thousands of households.”

It is the latest scheme from the Department of Communities aimed at helping those struggling with rising fuel costs.

A £2 million Emergency Fuel Payment Scheme, which aimed to benefit 20,000 families, opened on January 6.

However, applicants have reported problems in applying for the scheme, which is set at 333 applications per day.

In addition winter fuel payments have been made to more than 290,000 people in Northern Ireland.