Powering a sustainable future in Northern Ireland

The first way we do this is by managing the Northern Ireland Sustainable Energy Programme (NISEP) fund. It helps people get the money they need to make energy saving changes at home. 

We’ve managed NISEP on behalf of Northern Ireland’s Utility Regulator for the last 20 years. 

NISEP has been particularly successful in targeting homes with inadequate insulation and inefficient heating systems. In 2023/24 our NISEP impact was greater than ever as we delivered £7.4 million* to people most in need.  

Thanks to our successful management of NISEP, homeowners, private tenants and housing associations installed a wide range of energy saving measures last year, including: 

• 1,498 installations of loft insulation*
• 1,138 installations of cavity and solid wall insulation*
• 897 new heating systems* 
• 4,986 LED lightbulbs (9,705 including commercial schemes)* 
• 128 hot water tank jackets* 
• 513 shower flow regulators* 
• 194 reflective radiator panels* 
• 321 smart heating controls 

These upgrades can help people save on their energy bills. They can also lead to healthier homes, and an improved environment as a result of 1,214 tons of carbon* being saved through the programme in 2023/24. 

*figures provided are pre-audit figures and are subject to change. 

Eligibility for NISEP schemes is based on annual income, with 80% of grants ring-fenced for vulnerable customers on lower incomes. One commercial scheme offers 20% funding per energy efficiency measure, with no additional requirements.  

People access the funding through 22 energy efficiency schemes that are delivered by 10 organisations across Northern Ireland. Some schemes were fully funded by NISEP and others were part-funded.  

NISEP itself is funded by a levy on all domestic and commercial electricity bills in Northern Ireland. 

The Department for the Economy (DfE) has confirmed that NISEP will run until 2027. Meanwhile, it will develop a new programme in line with the Energy Strategy for Northern Ireland.  

We also continue to work closely with DfE to manage £900K of funding on their behalf through an insulation scheme.  

Our work in Northern Ireland goes wider that NISEP. Thanks to our expertise and reputable track record we’ve expanded our work in Northern Ireland. 

Last year, we partnered with the Northern Ireland Housing Executive to show tenants and homeowners how to lower their energy bills and make their homes more comfortable. One way we did this was with our easy to use home energy savings tool. 

In its first four months, 1,510 people benefited from using the tool. 

By entering a few details, anyone using the tool gets an estimate of their current spend on gas, oil and electricity. They can see an overview of practical measures they can take to make their homes warmer, while cutting costs and CO2 emissions.  

The tool also lets people see which energy saving measures are possible for different budgets, from draught proofing doors to installing solar panels. People can then see the different savings each of these upgrades would deliver.