Friends of the Earth welcomes report from Taoiseach’s advisory council calling for urgent action on energy affordability, energy poverty, and clean heat

Friends of the Earth calls for immediate Government action to progress NESC’s policy recommendations before coming winter

Friends of the Earth (FoE) Ireland warmly welcomes today’s publication by the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) of Council Report No.170, Connecting People to the Energy Transition,[1] which puts households, affordability, and energy poverty at the heart of Ireland’s energy transition, and has called on Government to immediately implement its recommendations.

Many of NESC’s recommendations echo long-standing FoE priorities - from targeted energy supports over blanket subsidies, to scaling up retrofits and clean heat, to unlocking the potential of energy communities. Crucially, the report also calls for introducing minimum Building Energy Rating (BER) standards for the private rental sector - a commitment in the Government’s Housing for All plan for 2025 - which would help tackle energy poverty, protect tenants’ health, and ensure children are not growing up in cold, damp homes.

FoE has consistently called for stronger action on energy poverty [2] - including setting a measurable target to reduce it, creating accessible retrofit pathways for every housing tenure and type, guaranteeing a minimum amount of energy for all through an Energy Guarantee, and directing support to renters, lone parents, people with disabilities, and households in the worst BER homes. The NESC report’s recommendation to the Government to develop a plan to end energy poverty is an important step in this direction.

This is particularly pertinent given recent CRU figures[3] show one quarter of all domestic gas consumers and 13% of electricity consumers now in arrears, as well as the absence of energy credits for households this winter.

Clare O’Connor, Programme Coordinator at Friends of the Earth Ireland, said:

“NESC has put in black and white what Irish communities, renters and households have been telling us for years: the energy transition must be fair, affordable, and practical. Friends of the Earth strongly endorse its call to protect households, set measurable targets to end energy poverty, and remove the barriers to retrofitting and clean heat. The Government must now  move quickly to act on these recommendations so people are protected in warmer homes with lower bills.”

Ms O’Connor continued:

"This report is an important step in the right direction, reflecting many of the changes Friends of the Earth has been calling for: targeted affordability measures, accessible retrofit options for every tenure, and real support for households through local energy advisors. It also recognises the need for a plan to end energy poverty, prioritised retrofits for those at greatest risk, an Energy Guarantee for essential energy needs, and better targeting of energy supports to renters, lone parents, people with disabilities and households in the worst BER homes. 

If the Government embeds these actions in the upcoming Budget and Energy Affordability Action Plans - and delivers minimum BER standards for rental properties this year, as promised - we can make real progress towards ending energy poverty while driving the systemic transformation needed for a fair, fossil-free future."

ENDS

Notes:

1. National Economic and Social Council (NESC) of Council Report No.170, Connecting People to the Energy Transition 
2. Friends of the Earth’s campaigning work on energy poverty is available here 
3. Arrears and NPA Disconnections April 2025 Update here