AQW 42928/11-15

Mr Basil McCrea
NI21
Lagan Valley

Tabled Date: 26/02/2015
Answered On Date: 12/03/2015
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Social Development (i) how many Affordable Warmth surveys local councils are expected to have completed by the end of March 2015; (ii) how many have been completed; (iii) what work has been delivered as a result of completed surveys; and (iv) what is the total budget for paying local councils to undertake these surveys.

Answer:

For 2014/2015 the Warm Homes Scheme is the Department’s main scheme for tackling fuel poverty. The Affordable Warmth Scheme was launched in September 2014 to run alongside the Warm Homes Scheme until it comes to an end on 31 March 2015. The Affordable Warmth Scheme is being embedded across all council areas. The Service Level Agreement between my Department and Councils specifies a minimum of 1,000 completed surveys to be referred to the Housing Executive each year. Up to 5 March 2015 Housing Executive has received 2,041 completed Affordable Warmth surveys from the councils and surveyors continue to visit households and complete surveys. Housing Executive is now processing these 2,041 surveys to identify what energy efficiency measures are required and also checking the householder’s eligibility for the Affordable Warmth Scheme.

Housing Executive has processed payments to Councils on behalf of the Department totalling £1,386,000 which includes start up costs for the Affordable Warmth Scheme.