Chair of the Welsh Parliament’s Cross Party Group on Fuel Poverty and North Wales MS Mark Isherwood is concerned by the lack of detail in the Welsh Government’s new plan to tackle fuel poverty in Wales, which includes nothing additional to address the urgent needs of fuel poor households this winter, particularly in light of COVID-19.
Speaking in the Welsh Parliament yesterday, Mr Isherwood criticised the absence of specifics in the plan and called for a debate on the draft to allow for questioning.
He said:
“The Welsh Government plan to tackle fuel poverty in Wales includes new non-statutory targets to 2035 and no interim milestones to get there – despite the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000, as amended by the Energy Act 2013, stating that the requirements of a new fuel poverty strategy in Wales must specify interim objectives to be achieved and target dates for achieving them.
“The Minister accepted the statement in NEA’s UK Fuel Poverty Monitor last year that the Welsh Government should publish and make available a Cold Weather Plan for Wales to address the burden of excess winter deaths and cold-related ill-health in the country. However, the Welsh Government consultation on its new plan seemingly includes nothing additional new or additional now to address the urgent needs of fuel poor households this winter, particularly in light of COVID-19. We therefore need to know what additional actions the Welsh Government is taking to support fuel poor households this winter.
“The Older People’s Commissioner for Wales refers to figures showing that there are around 67,000 older households living in fuel poverty in Wales, despite a statutory duty to eradicate fuel poverty.
“We therefore need to know how the Welsh Government will respond to the Commissioner’s calls for the Welsh Government to establish an emergency grant fund to make improvements to older people’s home environments to support those most at risk of fuel poverty this winter, and to invest in local and national targeted campaigns and assistance to increase the take-up of Pension Credit.
“We also need to know how the Welsh Government responds to the Community Housing Cymru research which estimated that the cost of decarbonising all 230,000 units in the Welsh social housing sector exceeds £4.2bn.”
Speaking afterwards, Mr Isherwood added:
“In NEA’s UK Fuel Poverty Monitor 2018-19, stakeholders identified a number of barriers in meeting the aims and targets of the Welsh Government’s 2010 Fuel Poverty Strategy, which included “Eligibility criteria limiting support that can be delivered to households in need but who are not in receipt of means tested benefits”.
“I therefore also call on the Welsh Labour-led Government to do more to tackle fuel poverty and energy inefficiency by following the lead of the UK Conservative Government in introducing a Green Homes Grant scheme in Wales, which goes much further than the Welsh Government’s means-tested ‘Nest’ and area-based ‘Arbed’ energy efficiency Warm Homes’ schemes.
“Such a scheme not only makes accommodation more energy efficient – and more economical to keep warm – for homeowners and tenants, but also addresses other issues facing Wales. Works carried out under the scheme will have a knock-on effect within local economies, supporting and generating jobs, and should also see a rise in the need for further and vocational training.”