A consultation on proposed amendments to retained direct EU legislation was today published by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA).

The first of three public consultation sessions on Northern Ireland’s Carbon Budget will be held this Thursday, 31 August.

25 August 2023

Responding to the new Ofgem price cap [1], Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay said:

“The new price cap underlines the urgent need for a government-backed home insulation programme targeted, in the first instance, at those most at risk of fuel poverty.

“The government should be announcing today funding and support for local councils to start a mass programme of cost-saving home insulation. With the right funding and determination, such a scheme could start to help people from this winter.

“Even with a lower price cap, bills are still higher than before the energy crisis and are likely to remain high for the future.

“Figures released earlier this week suggested that almost half of all British households – 13m homes – said they did not turn on their heating when it got cold last winter [2].

“The average home could save hundreds of pounds a year with decent insulation [3] and the government needs to support councils to reach them as soon as possible

“Insulating people’s homes means they can stay warm while using less energy,savemoney and produce fewer harmful carbon emissions.

“A mass programme of government-backed, council delivered home insulation starting before winter is a win-win solution for people and the planet.

“Government support should extend an emergency grant to homeowners and landlords aiming urgent support at those most in need.

“And it is well beyond time to break the link between electricity and gas prices that so distorts the market that it pushes up electricity prices for the public even as cheaper renewable electricity sources could be pushing prices down.

“We have the opportunity now, starting with support for the most at-risk people, to create warmer, more comfortable homes and in the process create millions of jobs, reduce bills and cut carbon emissions.”

ENDS

Notes

1

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/energy-prices-fall-again-winter

2

https://www.which.co.uk/policy-and-insight/article/too-scared-to-put-the-heating-on-13-million-households-not-heating-their-homes-when-its-cold-due-to-energy-bill-fears-which-warns-aXpY84U6BJaS

3

https://www.renewableenergyhub.co.uk/main/insulation/insulation-cost-and-savings

For further information or to arrange an interview please contact the Press Office press@greenparty.org.uk 0203 691 9401

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Statistics on young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) were published today by the Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency.

The public are being urged to remain vigilant and take extra care if visiting coastal areas or along river/lake areas over the summer. Blue-green algae has been found in a number of locations in Northern Ireland including Lough Neagh the Lower Bann and catchments, North Coast bathing waters and lakes in Fermanagh. The blue-green algae in Lough Neagh, confirmed on 6 June, has been moving downstream with the natural flow of water out of the lough down the River Bann, reaching the coast.