Debate contribution: Household Energy Costs
Debate contribution by Mrs Pam Cameron on .
- MLA
- Mrs Pam Cameron
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 7 October 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Private Members' Business
- Heading
- Household Energy Costs
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5164989
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. The DUP amendment aims to bring a sense of balance and realism to the debate, particularly in light of the serious infrastructure and affordability challenges facing Northern Ireland. I begin by saying that I fully recognise and welcome the intention behind the motion. We can all agree that fuel poverty is a very real and pressing issue and that poorly insulated homes place an unfair burden on families. The call to improve the energy efficiency of our social housing and to explore renewable integration is sensible and timely. Every one of us wishes, for every constituent and even for ourselves, for homes to be energy-efficient, to be as environmentally friendly as possible and to be warm and healthy. Our amendment reflects growing concern that some of the emissions targets and central objectives set out in the Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 may simply not be deliverable in the time frame to which we have committed, given the very real infrastructure and financial constraints that we face. We have seen, for example, a decision to extend operating hours at Kilroot power station. That is a necessary step in order to maintain energy security but is one that involves increased use of fossil fuels. That points to the gap between policy ambition and operational reality, and it is something that we cannot ignore and, instead, must take seriously.
I thank the Member for his intervention. Similarly, we have had the recent court judgement on the A5 project, which highlighted how climate targets have had unintended consequences. In that case, they are potentially delaying or even preventing vital infrastructure projects. We need to ensure that such flagship projects can still go ahead without our breaching emissions limits or putting other sectors under pressure.
I want to make some progress, if you do not mind. Much of what we will be debating today relates to other Departments as well. For example, the responsibility for renewable energy sits with the Department for the Economy. We know that that Department has a statutory obligation under the Climate Change Act to ensure that at least 80% of electricity consumption comes from renewable sources by 2030. Significant investment and reform are needed in that area, particularly around grid capacity, planning and skills development. I ask therefore this question: where are we with meeting those targets? Are they even achievable? Are we being disingenuous by not raising concerns over our ability to meet what are incredibly challenging targets?
I thank the Member for her intervention. We also have to be —.
I will.
I thank my colleague for his intervention.
Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I appreciate your intervention. We must be mindful of the wider costs. DAERA's draft climate action plan has been estimated to cost a whopping £1 billion between now and 2027. That is, of course, an incredibly eye-watering figure. Our amendment does not seek to weaken our commitment to addressing climate change; rather, it asks us to proceed with care and pragmatism. We really need to look at the issues through a realistic lens. We need to be honest about what we can and cannot achieve right now with the available resource. We must be sensible while seeking to achieve real and lasting benefits for Northern Ireland. I am sure that none of us wants to unintentionally place additional pressures on households, businesses and our ability to deliver key public services in what are already very challenging times. I encourage Members to support our amendment. It keeps intact the core of the motion, which is about improving homes and lowering bills, whilst acknowledging the complex and sometimes competing demands that we now face. I ask the Minister in his response to the debate to update the House on the affordable warmth scheme and any plans that he has to upscale that scheme, which helps low-income households to improve energy efficiency through a range of measures. I also want to hear more on what social housing providers are able to do and what is happening around the Department's review of the decent homes standard. I respectfully ask the Minister to address where the private rented sector fits into all of that and what other schemes are in the mix and to update us on the progress of the fuel poverty strategy. I am aware that I am giving the Minister a lot of homework. I will leave my remarks there, and I look forward to hearing more contributions from Members across the House.
755 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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