Tackling energy poverty
Across Ireland, thousands of households face the same difficult choice each winter: to heat their home or pay for food and other essentials.
ESRI research shows that more than 550,000 homes, representing around 1.5 million people, are living in energy poverty. The struggle to stay warm has become part of everyday life for many families who are spending more than 10 per cent of their net income on energy bills.
Co-operative Housing Ireland, which manages over 6,000 homes nationwide, is determined to change that. As both a co-operative and an approved housing body (AHB), it is committed to making homes warmer, more comfortable, and affordable for its member tenants.
Retrofit programme
With assistance from SEAI, Co-operative Housing Ireland has embarked on an ambitious Warmth and Wellbeing Retrofit Programme. Since 2018, 300 homes have been retrofitted, including 45 at Cardy Rock Court in Balbriggan last year, with a further 17 currently being upgraded at Townsend Street, Dublin 2.
Member tenants have benefitted from significant savings and 50 per cent fewer heating-related maintenance calls have been logged. One South Earl Street resident, whose home was retrofitted in 2022, says: “We can control the temperature; we have it set to 18 degrees at all times. We always have hot water and it is always at the same temperature. It just feels healthier now.”
Turning waste into warmth
Co-operative Housing Ireland’s focus on sustainability has also led to a partnership with EnergyCloud, a registered charity with a simple but powerful goal: to end energy poverty.
In 2024, Co-operative Housing Ireland and EnergyCloud launched a pilot programme installing Climote smart immersion controller devices in homes in Bray, County Wicklow and in Birr, Co. Offaly. The technology allows households to receive free tanks of hot water on nights when there is surplus wind energy on the grid.
According to EnergyCloud, over €2.1 billion worth of renewable energy has been wasted over the past seven years. In 2024, roughly 10 per cent of all wind energy generated and 5 per cent of all solar energy generated went unused.
Households with Climote devices may benefit from several tanks of free hot water each week, helping to reduce their electricity bills. Both the devices and their installation are provided at no cost to member tenants.
The controller connects to the existing immersion system and activates only when free energy is available. No action is required by the member tenant. In 2024, EnergyCloud delivered free hot water on 99 nights across participating homes.
Siobhán Kelly, a Co-operative Housing Ireland member tenant in Balbriggan, says: “I used to worry about the electricity bill every time I turned on the immersion. Now, with the new system, we often have hot water waiting in the morning. It takes a lot of pressure off, especially with kids getting ready for school. It has made a real difference.”
Scaling up success
The success of the pilot has paved the way for expansion. In July 2025, Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy Darragh O’Brien TD launched the next phase of the partnership which will see Climote devices installed in 300 additional Co-operative Housing Ireland homes across Fingal.
At the launch, Minister O’Brien said: “This is an ambitious and creative project between EnergyCloud Ireland, Co-operative Housing Ireland, and Amazon, and I am delighted to have the opportunity to officially launch this programme in Fingal.
“The Government has clear ambitions under the Climate Action Plan to reduce our carbon emissions by 51 per cent by 2030. This innovative project, supported by Eirgrid and ESB, aligns with government goals by using surplus renewable energy and smart technology to assist those experiencing energy poverty.”
Pearse O’Shiel, Vice Chairperson of the Co-operative Housing Ireland Board, added: “We are delighted to collaborate with EnergyCloud and AWS on this innovative initiative. At Co-operative Housing Ireland, we are committed to delivering sustainable, people-centred solutions for our member tenants.
“This collaboration reflects our shared values of community, equity, and sustainability, and it marks a meaningful step in tackling energy poverty by ensuring that the benefits of renewable energy reach those who need it most.”
A shared vision
The challenge now is to make solutions like this available to many more households. It requires greater government support to expand these technologies nationwide.
The AHB sector has a vital role to play. Together, members of the Housing Alliance, a collaboration of Ireland’s seven largest AHBs, now own or manage more than 50,000 homes nationwide. Each organisation is working to reduce carbon emissions, improve energy efficiency, and ensure that sustainable housing remains affordable for everyone.
Currently, retrofit funding through SEAI covers up to 50 per cent of costs, leaving AHBs to find the remainder from limited reserves. Increasing that support to at least 90 per cent would allow energy upgrades at scale, helping every household live in a home that is warm, efficient, and affordable.
No one should ever have to choose between heating their home and putting food on the table. That is the simple goal behind initiatives like EnergyCloud and Co-operative Housing Ireland; turning renewable energy into real social impact, and ensuring that every family in Ireland can live with comfort, dignity, and hope.
For further information contact:
Jennifer Nolan, Communications Manager
T: +353 (0) 86 440 2352
E: jennifer.nolan@co-operativehousing.ie
W: www.cooperativehousing.ie
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cooperativehousingireland/
