Council of Social Responsibility (CSR), in partnership with CAP and The Trussell Trust, are partnering to highlight the lived experience of some of the most vulnerable people in Ireland today.

This month’s focus is fuel poverty.

Across the land we have watched as gas and electric prices have soared, adding pressure to household budgets. It’s manageable for families who have disposable income but what about those families that don’t.

Evidence from CAP tells us that high percentages of their clients borrow money to pay utility bills.

Increasingly our Missions are experiencing an increased demand to ‘top up’ family’s gas and electricity cards. Poorer families are choosing between ‘heat or eat’.

In highlighting fuel poverty, we have included:

1. 10 PRACTICAL TIPS VIDEO

   10 practical tips on how to make you home more energy efficient, including turning down the temperature of the washing machine. It also signposts for assistance to the NI Energy Advice nienergyadvice@nihe.gov.uk / 0800 111 4455. 

The video is available to download here.

2. Prayer points

• Gas prices vary with international events we think we have no control over, e.g Russian / Ukraine situation; the demand for gas from China. But we serve a God who has all this under His control - the weather, world events, whatever - He knows all about them and nothing takes Him by surprise. Praise Him for this.

• The pressure on customers is great, so we need to pray for solutions.

• Pray for energy company customer service teams.  They are facing more, and more difficult, calls from customers.

3. Ideas of how you can help

●      Could you drop in on neighbour and encourage them with their fuel efficiency?

●      Did you receive your winter fuel payment, but you are in a fortunate position to not need it- could you pass it on to one of the Missions, CAP or Trussell Trust?

Additional Resources

Throughout this year CSR continue to provide additional resources for churches to enable them to Learn, Act and Pray into issues such as fuel poverty, food poverty and the impact poverty has on a person/families well-being.

Service materials (including a video) from CSR Sunday 2022 are available here.