To ask the Minister for Communities for her assessment of the adequacey of the current schemes to insulate homes vulnerable to fuel poverty.

The Affordable Warmth Scheme provides a range of heating and insulation measures to thermal efficiency.

The Affordable Warmth Scheme take a ‘whole house’ approach encouraging households to undertake all appropriate measures in their home to combat the effects of fuel poverty including Cavity Wall, Loft and Solid Wall insulation.

The Housing Executive’s intention is to adopt a Fabric First approach which entails insulation improvements in order to reduce both energy use/cost for its tenants and to prepare the properties for future decarbonised heating systems.

The Housing Executive has been upgrading loft insulation to current standards whenever a new heating system is installed. It is acknowledged that improvements in insulating the walls of its properties is also required.

The ‘Energy Efficiency in Social Housing Programme’, is aimed at improving the thermal performance of a number of non-traditionally constructed properties. Early results from some Aluminium Bungalow schemes indicate that the SAP ratings of the properties improved by an average of 14 points, and that energy use in them is reduced by approximately a third. Similarly an initial assessment of the first completed No Fines scheme indicates a post-works 10 point increase in SAP rating.