Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has launched a 12-week public consultation on the proposed Warm Healthy Homes Fund, a new energy efficiency programme intended to replace the existing Affordable Warmth Scheme and help low-income households across Northern Ireland escape fuel poverty. The consultation, which runs until 19 August 2026, seeks views on eligibility criteria, grant levels and consumer protections for the fund—a central pillar of the Executive’s 10-year fuel poverty strategy.
The proposed fund adopts a “whole-house, fabric-first” approach, prioritising insulation, ventilation and airtightness before new heating systems or renewable technologies are installed. The Department for Communities aims to use the scheme to modernise energy-inefficient homes across the owner-occupied and private rented sectors, building on the Affordable Warmth Scheme that has assisted more than 19,500 households since 2014.
Fabric-first upgrades and eligibility criteria
The Warm Healthy Homes Fund is designed to tackle what the Department describes as a fuel poverty “crisis” affecting vulnerable households across Northern Ireland. Under the proposals, eligible homes would receive upgrades starting with the building fabric—walls, roofs, windows and ventilation—to prevent heat loss, followed by heating improvements or low-carbon technologies where appropriate.
The consultation document invites feedback on several specific areas:
- Eligibility criteria, including income thresholds and whether certain benefits should be disregarded when calculating household income (a feature of the previous scheme)
- Grant limits per household, with suggestions that caps could rise above the previous Affordable Warmth Scheme maximum of £7,500 (£10,000 for solid wall measures)
- Support for private renters, including how to secure landlord cooperation for improvements
- Quality standards and redress, ensuring work meets recognised frameworks and householders have clear routes to complain if standards slip
- Impact of personal savings, determining whether household assets should affect eligibility
The Department has also published an Equality Impact Assessment Screening and a Rural Needs Impact Assessment alongside the consultation. Two in-person events are planned for Belfast and Omagh, plus an online session, though dates are yet to be confirmed.
Targeting low-income and disabled households
The fund specifically targets low-income households in both the owner-occupier and private rented sectors. Research suggests these groups are disproportionately affected by fuel poverty; House of Commons Library data indicates approximately 24% of households in Northern Ireland are classed as fuel poor—significantly higher than the 11% rate in England.
Disabled people face particularly acute risks. Nuala Toman, Head of Accessibility at Disability Action, notes that disabled people are disproportionately impacted by fuel poverty, poor housing conditions and rising energy costs.
“Disability Action welcomes the launch of the Department for Communities consultation on the Warm, Healthy Homes Fund and encourages disabled people, families and communities across Northern Ireland to have their say. Disabled people are disproportionately impacted by fuel poverty, poor housing conditions and rising energy costs, making accessible, affordable and energy-efficient homes essential to health, dignity, independence and equality. This consultation represents an important opportunity to help shape a system that better responds to the needs of disabled people and those most at risk of poverty and exclusion.”
— Nuala Toman, Head of Accessibility, Disability Action
Minister pledges ‘long-term solution’ as charities warn of crisis
Minister Lyons emphasised that the consultation represents a step towards long-term, sustainable solutions rather than short-term fixes.
“I am committed to ensuring that everyone in Northern Ireland has access to a warm, safe, secure and affordable home in which they can live and thrive. This consultation marks another important step forward in delivering on that vision and ensuring that the Warm Healthy Homes Strategy delivers for those most in need. The proposed Warm Healthy Homes Fund will provide a long-term, sustainable solution to fuel poverty, modernise energy inefficient homes, build on the success of the Affordable Warmth Scheme and provide targeted, practical support for low-income households.”
— Gordon Lyons, Minister for Communities
The Minister also stressed the health benefits of warmer homes.
“By upgrading and enhancing the energy efficiency of homes, we will help hard-pressed families and people reduce their energy bills and improve health outcomes by making their homes easier and more affordable to heat. As Minister for Housing, I am committed to protecting the most vulnerable households in our society, while also laying the foundations for the future. I therefore encourage members of the public and anyone with an interest to participate in this consultation and help shape the final design of the Warm Healthy Homes Fund.”
— Gordon Lyons, Minister for Communities
Fuel poverty charities have cautiously welcomed the consultation while stressing the urgency of intervention. Pat Austin, Director of National Energy Action NI and Chair of the Fuel Poverty Coalition Northern Ireland, noted that fuel poverty remains at crisis levels.
“Fuel poverty remains at crisis level in Northern Ireland, with far too many households struggling to afford to keep warm. Improving the energy efficiency of our homes is a lasting solution to reduce household energy bills and improve health and wellbeing. We welcome this consultation as an important step towards a new energy efficiency scheme for low-income and vulnerable households and urge everyone to have their say in shaping a scheme that is so evidently needed.”
— Pat Austin, Director, National Energy Action NI
Nigel Brady, Director of Bryson Energy, echoed this call for public engagement.
“I strongly welcome this consultation as a significant step toward ensuring everyone in Northern Ireland can live in a warm, healthy home. The proposed Warm Healthy Homes Fund offers a sustainable approach to tackling fuel poverty, expanding support, improving energy efficiency, and enhancing health outcomes. I encourage everyone to engage with the consultation to help shape the scheme and ensure support is targeted at those most in need.”
— Nigel Brady, Director, Bryson Energy
Unanswered questions on funding, landlords and eligibility thresholds
While the strategy sets out ambitious goals, several practical questions remain unanswered ahead of the consultation closing on 19 August 2026:
- Will the proposed £150 million allocation for the fund’s first five years—announced when the broader strategy launched in February—be sufficient to meet demand across all 11 council areas, particularly in rural regions where installation costs are typically higher?
- How will the scheme ensure private landlords participate, given that tenants cannot apply without landlord consent and owners may lack incentive to upgrade properties?
- What specific income thresholds will replace the previous Affordable Warmth Scheme cap of £23,000, and will disability benefits such as PIP and DLA continue to be excluded from income calculations?
- How will the “fabric-first” approach accommodate households with immediate heating system failures or unsafe boilers?
- Will the new fund coordinate with the UK Government’s £15 billion Warm Homes Plan, which includes £1.5 billion for devolved nations, to avoid duplication or gaps in coverage?
Consultation timeline and scheme launch
The consultation closes at 11:59 pm on 19 August 2026. Responses can be submitted via the Department’s Citizen Space platform, by email to [email protected], or by post to the Home Energy Branch, Causeway Exchange, Belfast.
The Department will analyse feedback before finalising the fund’s design, with implementation expected later in 2026 or early 2027. For households currently struggling with fuel poverty, the existing Affordable Warmth Scheme remains open for applications until the new fund launches.