Concern over oil stamps

Cllr Stewart Dickson has suggested that the Department of Social Development, which currently supports the establishment of ‘oil stamp’ schemes, should favour those keeping an electronic record of payments made by householders rather than issuing stamps.

The Alliance representative told this week’s meeting of the Borough’s Environmental Services committee: “Savings stamps are open to theft. Stamp saving schemes, even supermarkets’ Christmas saving schemes, have by and large been phased out.

“I would prefer it if this were an electronic savings sceme through the Post Office - savers’ money is secure and even if their paperwork is stolen, that is all that has been stolen.”

Cllr Roy Beggs also expressed concern about the prospect of forged savings stamps being used by fraudsters, although Alderman Billy Ashe suggested fraud is a matter for the PSNI and should not be allowed to derail a scheme that might help alleviate fuel poverty.

Councillors were discussing a response to a DSD consultation on a new fuel poverty strategy.

The council’s draft submission includes a warning that the introduction of a severity index to identify the most vulnerable households could have negative consequences in terms of administrative costs and for people who “dip in and out of fuel poverty.”

It calls for an “holistic” examination of the various measures used to address fuel poverty, with a view to bringing a range of schemes together with a single, clear set of eligibility criteria.

Concern is also expressed that a requirement to pay for energy efficiency work upfront and claim grant aid retrospectively could mean the most vulnerable missing out and that the introduction of ‘social tariffs’ for energy would mean other users paying more.