This summer, Ecofuel partnered once again with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVP) and the Galway Lions Club to deliver our largest donation yet: two full loads of EcoBriquettes, totalling 4,160 boxes (49,920kg, equivalent to nearly 25,000 briquettes).
Enough to heat hundreds of homes with certainty instead of stress.
What began in 2020 as a simple idea that no one should face an Irish winter without warmth has become an annual act of solidarity. Each year since, we’ve joined forces with SVP and the Galway Lions to make sure fuel reaches those who need it most.
A Growing Need
Fuel poverty is no longer a hidden crisis in Ireland.
In 2025, almost three in ten households (29%) are living in energy poverty, the highest rate ever recorded. Electricity and gas arrears are at record levels, with nearly 300,000 households behind on electricity bills, and SVP estimates that over half a million people went without heat at some point last winter.
One SVP volunteer told us during this year’s delivery:
“Every week, we meet families who never thought they’d be here, asking for help. It’s not just the elderly anymore. It’s parents, neighbours, people who once managed fine but now can’t stretch the budget far enough.”
And still, Marie O’Donovan, who has been with SVP for more than 35 years, leads the charge.
As she put it:
“The need hasn’t eased. If anything, it’s grown. But so has the response. And that gives me hope.”
A Collective Effort
This year’s delivery was only possible because of the steadfast backing of SVP and the Galway Lions Club, who provided the financial support to make it happen.
At the Briarhill depot, the atmosphere was less about ceremony and more about determination. Forklifts hummed, pallets shifted, and volunteers worked steadily through the summer heat, each person adding their part to the whole.
Ecofuel’s role was to supply the fuel, but the heart of the effort belonged to the charities and their volunteers, who once again showed what community looks like when it refuses to let its neighbours be left in the cold.
More Than Fuel
EcoBriquettes are clean, reliable, easy to store and use. But for families and older neighbours in fuel poverty, they are more than fuel. They are relief, dignity, and peace of mind.
They mean a warm bedroom for a child. A safe winter for someone in poor health. Breathing space for a parent choosing between heating and food.
This year’s donation carried a value of over €23,000. But its real worth lies in the warmth it brings into homes that might otherwise have gone cold.
Looking Ahead
With Budget 2026 on the horizon, charities across Ireland are urging the government to act: to lift the frozen Fuel Allowance (still €33 per week since 2021), widen eligibility, and protect households from winter disconnections.
Policy matters, and long-term solutions are essential. But until they arrive, the real work happens here.
It happens in the quiet persistence of SVP volunteers who know the names and faces behind the numbers.
It happens when the Galway Lions step in, year after year, to make sure families are not left behind.
It happens in the hum of forklifts and the sweat of summer afternoons, preparing for a winter that hasn’t yet arrived but always will.
What began with a single container in 2020 has grown into nearly fifty tonnes this year. The need has grown, yes, but so too has the response. And that is where hope lives.
For our part, Ecofuel will keep showing up with fuel that warms more than homes. Fuel that carries dignity, relief, and peace of mind.
Because in Ireland, no one should have to choose between heating and food.
Because warmth is not a privilege, it is a right.
And because when we stand together, winters don’t have to be endured alone.
