Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has unveiled a long-term, cross-government plan aimed at eradicating fuel poverty over the next decade. Launching the 'Warm Healthy Homes: A Northern Ireland Fuel Poverty Strategy 2026-2036' during a visit to a home in Belfast, the Minister confirmed the strategy has received full Executive backing.

The initiative addresses a critical issue in Northern Ireland, where nearly one in four households are currently affected by fuel poverty. To tackle this, Minister Lyons announced the creation of a new Warm Healthy Homes Fund, set to launch next year. He intends to allocate £150 million to the fund over its first five years to finance energy efficiency upgrades for low-income and vulnerable households. Speaking in Hopewell Crescent in Belfast, where he made the announcement, Minister Lyons said: "I am pleased to launch the Warm Healthy Homes strategy, a new approach that has secured Executive backing and which will help lift families out of fuel poverty. This is a comprehensive 10-year strategy to ensure that cold, damp homes become a thing of the past. Fuel poverty affects nearly one in four households, and its consequences are linked to poor health and financial stress, particularly for the less well off. This strategy sets out a clear pathway to change that."

The Minister explained that the plan will work alongside the draft Anti-Poverty Strategy and the Housing Supply Strategy. In addition to physical upgrades, the scheme will provide energy wellbeing advice through community partners and look to improve standards via a revised Decent Homes Standard for social housing.

The launch was welcomed by various sector leaders. Christine Irvine of Marie Curie NI noted that one in three people in their last year of life in Northern Ireland face fuel poverty, expressing support for the strategy's specific focus on those at the end of life.

National Energy Action NI and the Consumer Council also endorsed the framework, stressing that its success will depend on sustained investment. John French, Chief Executive of the Utility Regulator, added that the strategy is a "significant opportunity" to ensure energy remains affordable for all consumers.

The Department for Communities will now move forward with an action plan to identify those most at risk and begin the rollout of the multi-million-pound investment.