A flagship Welsh Government scheme aimed at tackling fuel poverty would take about 125 years to support every low-income household at the current rate, the Senedd was told. Investment is “woefully short,” the Welsh Government was told.
Conservative housing spokesman Mark Isherwood warned the Warm Homes Nest programme has insufficient funding to address the scale of fuel poverty. He told the Senedd that the scheme supports about 1,600 homes a year but “at the current rate… it will take well over a century to improve the energy efficiency of the homes of all our lower income households currently estimated to be in fuel poverty”.
Plaid Cymru MS Siân Gwenllian said more than 200,000 households estimated to be living in fuel poverty. She said there was a lack of clarity on the policy which was aiming to balance net zero and fuel poverty. “In some cases, both things could go hand in hand. But it can also lead to conflict when you’re trying to achieve two policy objectives within a single programme,” she said.
There is also uncertainty around the boiler repair scheme beyond March. “It is encouraging that the boiler repair scheme has been restored, but it is concerning that there is only certainty until March this year, so I would like to know what will happen from this April onwards. Is this boiler repair scheme going to continue, or will you return to what was in the original scheme?” she asked. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here
Her Plaid Cymru colleague Llŷr Gruffydd said investment is “woefully short” of what’s required. “I think we need a bit of a reality check here. Let’s not think that Wales is doing a good job in this space. I have to say that the future generations commissioners—the previous commissioner and the present commissioner—have reminded us how woefully short the investment going into this area is vis-à-vis the level of challenge that’s facing us. We still have the most energy inefficient housing stock in western Europe. And whilst there are good things happening, they’re not happening at the scale or at the pace that’s required to really make an impact in this sphere.
Raising the example of a couple in their late 70s who live off grid in his Newport East constituency, John Griffiths called for support to be tailored to people’s circumstances.
Jenny Rathbone, Cardiff Central Labour MS, said: “In the main two postcodes for my constituency, CF23 and 24, 2019 and 2021 were the bumper years for retrofits. “But we’re talking 105 and 103 in each of these years, which is obviously very welcome for those homes but a drop in the sea compared with the huge need there is in the private sector, which is where all the coldest homes now are.”
Wales’ housing minister Jayne Bryant said they have invested more than £30m in the revamped Warm Homes Nest scheme. “We’re tackling fuel poverty through a two-pronged strategy: providing expert advice to Welsh households while delivering physical improvements to our least energy efficient homes, which cost more to heat. Our renewed programme, launched in April, is already making a real difference.”
Ms Bryant encouraged anybody worried about their energy bill or heating their home to call the scheme’s freephone number, 0808 808 2244.