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Top 10 Areas Most at Risk of Energy Poverty

19th August, 2015

Codema's recent report has identified the top 10 areas most at risk of energy poverty in the city, with sections of the inner city and parts of Cabra, Finglas and Ballyfermot highlighted as some of the areas worst affected.

The Dublin City Spatial Energy Demand Analysis analysed over 200,000 dwellings in the city and used three key factors – the cost of energy, unemployment levels and the energy rating of homes in the city – to map these results and identify areas most at risk of energy poverty.  Parts of Ballybough and Coolock were also included on the list. Areas most at risk of energy poverty in dublin city

The 865 households located in these areas have a typical Building Energy Rating (BER) of E1 and on average would need to spend just under €2,000 a year to heat and power their homes sufficiently.  The numbers of people who are unemployed or unable to work are also higher in these areas compared to other parts of the city, meaning that these households are most at risk of not being able to heat or power their homes to an adequate degree when all factors are taken into account.

Author of the report and Strategic Sustainable Energy Planner with Codema, Donna Gartland, recommended that these areas be targeted for energy efficiency improvements in order to reduce costs to householders:

This study has identified the need to find the best-fit solution to reduce the energy demand and energy costs to these households and include this housing in future energy-efficiency retrofit schemes.  While better building regulations have helped the energy performance of new builds, the rest of the city’s dwellings are becoming older and less-efficient and this will remain the case unless we take immediate action.

The Dublin City Spatial Energy Demand Analysis is the first city-wide study of its kind to be carried out in Ireland.  It aims to connect traditional city planning with effective strategies for sustainable energy so that specific areas can be targeted and the suitability of district heating schemes and the use of renewable energy sources in the city can be assessed.

Over 200,000 households, 20,000 commercial properties and 1,000 local authority building-based energy accounts have been analysed and the results have been mapped to include information such as energy costs, heat demand densities and energy use in over 2,000 small areas in the city.

The top 10 areas most at risk of energy poverty are as follows:
(Not in ranking order)

• Cromcastle area of Coolock
• Cappagh Road area of Finglas
• Decies / Muskerry Road area of Ballyfermot
• Landen / Lally Road area of Ballyfermot
• Sections of Blackhorse Avenue, Dublin 7
• Belvidere Avenue area of Ballybough
• Ventry Park area of Cabra West
• Arran Quay
• Sherrard Avenue area of Ballybough
• Cabra Road area of Cabra East

Click here to download the Dublin City Spatial Energy Demand Analysis - June 2015.

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