During the evolving energy crisis, the ongoing Government of Ireland Reduce Your Use/Stay Warm and Well public information campaign has provided clear and timely advice to Irish families, households, and businesses. A key component of the campaign strategy is to ensure that Government is actively listening to people; understanding and responding to their needs and concerns to determine the most useful advice, information and interventions that can be provided.
To ensure this is achieved, quantitative research has been carried out by Amárach Research on a fortnightly basis since October 2022, and on a monthly basis since April 2023. A nationally representative group is surveyed to test response to messaging and consumer sentiment. The results of this tracker indicate that overall there has been some reduction in the difficulty of meeting energy costs since October, and that families are making consistent efforts to reduce their energy use. However, the high cost of energy remains a serious concern, particularly among vulnerable groups.
The Government is working towards completing the implementation of the Energy Poverty Action Plan, monitoring the efficacy of existing supports, and exploring further measures to support consumers in the context of Budget 2024. The Consumer Sentiment and Reported Behaviour Research October 2022- June 2023 is available at: gov.ie - Consumer Sentiment and Reported Behaviour Research (www.gov.ie).
