OPINION: Running on empty - we need meaningful change not token handouts

With the rising cost of electricity, home heating oil and other fuels - and the knock on effect of increased petrol and diesel prices on all consumer goods - we would all love to find ways to reduce our energy costs.

The recently announced grants for deep retrofitting works for insulation and other measures seem good on the surface. But sadly, as is so often the case, it looks like this scheme will leave the least well off far behind. 

We have seen this time and time again with green policies. 

Most people are keen to play their part in moving towards a more sustainable society. However, cost is a huge barrier. 

And piling on additional carbon tax to punish those who can’t afford to make changes in the first place is grossly unfair. 

Furthermore, it makes the gap between rich and poor even wider,  and forces more and more people into having to choose between heat and food. 

News that the state will, for example, contribute €26,000 of the estimated €53,000 cost of bringing a hollow block semi-detached home with an E2 rating to a B rating is wonderful for those who can meet the remaining bill of €26,000.

Even better news for those people is that this work would reduce their heating bills by up to two-thirds, leading to a huge annual saving and a more comfortable, environmentally responsible home.

And no doubt it will earn the government plenty of  brownie points with the EU overseers of green policy.

But what about those who can’t even contemplate meeting those costs? Those who don't know how they are going to pay for next week's groceries? There are more and more people falling into that category every day, including people in two-income households.

It would seem that the government solution is  to offer low cost loans to help homeowners meet their share of the scheme.

Again, it feels like Minister for the Environment Eamonn Ryan has no sense of what life is like for a huge amount of people who are living from day to day, juggling debt and bills and the sharply rising cost of living. 

If someone is struggling to make ends meet, as so many people are right now,  there really isn’t a place in their lives for adding more debt to that burden. Many would not even be in a position to consider borrowing. 

Talk of a one-off household package is welcome but it is not going to make much difference to most people.

So is there a longer-term solution?

There is no doubt that fuel costs are crippling people, and are  affecting every aspect of the economy through the supply chain.

It was even mentioned at a recent municipal district meeting that tenders were coming in  notably higher than last year, with fuel costs being the reason given across the board. 

A cut in the amount of duty collected by the state on fuel would therefore seem to be a meaningful step. 

But does our government have the courage to take such an action? To make petrol and diesel more affordable for consumers and break the chain of rising costs, at least in rural Ireland where public transport is not a realistic alternative to family cars? 

It would be a brave move to do this when there is so much focus on moving away from fossil fuel. However, it would certainly  ease some of the pain.

We are all aware of climate change and as I previously mentioned, the vast majority of people are keen to play their part. It is the disparity between rich and poor that is the issue, and it is appalling that wealthier people are benefiting financially from green policies while the less well off are being punished for not being able to afford to make changes. 

This pattern leads to very little significant change in reality. 

It does however lead to increased hardship and desperation. And that is the last thing we need. 

To add insult to injury, global petroleum companies are reporting huge profits.

On Tuesday, oil and gas giant BP reported a massive upswing in full-year net profit, its highest in eight years. BP’s estimated profits for 2021 are $12.8 billion. This, the company says, is supported by soaring commodity prices. 

Also on Tuesday, I spoke to someone who thought they were going to have to cancel a hospital appointment in Letterkenny because they couldn’t afford to put petrol in their car. A friend stepped in to help them out. 

Seriously! That is an utterly unacceptable state of affairs and we need strong, real world leadership from our policy makers, not token one-off handouts made in an attempt to turn down the volume of the opposition voices.