'I'm terrified my oil will run out' - Older people living in fear of energy poverty

The government has been called to target older people in need, who are facing energy poverty in the forthcoming budget.

ALONE work with all older people across Ireland, including those who are lonely, isolated, frail or ill, homeless, living in poverty, or are facing other difficulties. We provide an integrated system of Support Coordination, Practical Supports, Support & Befriending, a variety of Phone Services, Social Prescribing, Housing with Support, and assistive technology.

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ALONE CEO Seán Moynihan said: 

“Summer has come and gone, and there’s a huge amount of anxiety among the older people we support about how they’re going to heat and power their homes this winter. The recent bill hikes by several energy suppliers will only have deepened that anxiety”.

With most recent figures showing that over 300,000 Irish households are in arrears on their electricity bills, ALONE’s message is clear – older people need meaningful supports to keep warm this winter.

Official CSO figures also show that 45.6% of older people living alone would have been at risk of poverty last year without cost-of-living supports. Moynihan emphasised the importance of adequate targeted supports in this year’s budget:

“Heating is a health issue for older people. Older people are more likely to experience health conditions and disabilities, they’re more likely to have poor circulation and mobility, which means inadequate heating can have dire consequences.”

ALONE’s most recent cost-of-living survey revealed the depths of older people’s anxieties around heating their homes, with one respondent – by no means an isolated case – saying:

"I’m terrified my oil won’t last. Because the house is very cold, I get very depressed."

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ALONE survey data shows that 40% of older people tolerate the cold to save on heating costs, while almost half the other older people who came to ALONE with financial challenges in 2024 were experiencing issues with utilities.

With figures indicating that older people are almost twice as likely to experience fuel poverty as the general population, and with further one-off cost-of-living payments being ruled out, ALONE’s pre-budget submission is calling on the government to:

• Increase the Fuel Allowance by at least €20 to incorporate support previously provided by once-off payments.
• Deliver a €10m fund to support people experiencing energy poverty, as committed to in the Action Plan to Combat Energy Poverty
• Allocate additional funding to SEAI to enable improvements to retrofitting grants for older people, to enhance accessibility, and reduce energy poverty among this cohort, as committed to in the Programme for Government.

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Moynihan noted that: “Many on the state pension are effectively locked out of the SEAI scheme because they can’t afford to pay up-front costs. In recent years, fewer than one third of grants have gone to energy-poor households”.

Concluding, Moynihan said:

“The sudden change in the weather at the start of September highlights the urgency of making sure that older people have access to targeted supports. With an ageing population, and with no sign of an end to skyrocketing energy costs, we need to get these supports right”.