'Tenants struggling with costly heating'
EFFORTS to replace "money-guzzling" Economy 7 heating with more efficient systems in Newry and Armagh have been slammed as "inadequate".
Newry and Armagh DUP MLA William Irwin said he is "deeply concerned over the lack of urgency" shown by the Housing Executive in replacing Economy 7 heaters in the area.
A ministerial question posed by Mr Irwin to Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie revealed that 466 properties in the Newry and Armagh districts rely on Economy 7 as their only form of heating.
Of these, just 23 in Newry will have their heating systems upgraded during the next financial year. None of the 197 properties using Economy 7 in Armagh will have their systems replaced.
Mr Irwin said he was shocked that homes "still lumbered with this antique and money-guzzling heating system" were not being upgraded.
"I had many people contact me over the past three months who have literally spent hundreds of pounds on electricity cards for their Economy 7 heaters and this is before they boil a kettle or switch the oven on.
"The cost with Economy 7 is so expensive that I know of a number of tenants who had to do without heat due to the costs and that is really unacceptable - they were freezing cold."
Mr Irwin called on the minister to "redouble her efforts" to fit more homes with gas or oil heating, and added: "I know personally of tenants who had a very uncomfortable winter. Fuel poverty is something that the minister is keen to reduce and this is a real and current problem for tenants on low incomes who cannot afford to run Economy 7 systems."
A spokesperson for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive said it was "committed" to improving energy efficiency in both social and private sector housing.
The spokesperson added: "Over recent years we have been replacing solid fuel room heaters and Economy 7 with oil and gas (where available) heating systems.
"The Housing Executive's budget for 2010-11 has yet to be announced, we are therefore unable to indicate at this time what the heating replacement programme for the next financial year will be."
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Wednesday 15 February 2012
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