North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood, who Chaired the Cross Party Group on Fuel Poverty during the third and fourth Assembly terms, has hosted and spoken at today’s launch of the new the Cross Party Group (CPG) on Fuel Poverty and Energy Efficiency.
With almost 1 in 4 households in Wales unable to afford to heat their homes, speaking at the launch Mr Isherwood said “it is clear that we need to maintain the political focus on fuel poverty and energy efficiency at the National Assembly.”
He added:
“The purpose of the CPG will be to raise awareness of the problem of fuel poverty and enable AMs to openly discuss the policy issues which have an impact on the ability of households in Wales to afford their energy bills, with National Energy Action (NEA) Cymru providing the secretariat for the CPG.
“In addition to quarterly meetings, a quarterly newsletter for Assembly Members will be produced by NEA Cymru to further engage AMs, and highlight policy issues of particular interest. It is also planned to hold two reception events a year to engage AMs.
“As NEA Cymru stated at the Wales Annual Fuel Poverty Conference in March: We drastically need a new fuel poverty strategy”, adding “whilst the Welsh Government’s investment in energy efficiency schemes through its Warm Homes Programme is commendable, we need a step change in ambition”.
“As the Bevan and Joseph Rowntree Foundations told the Assembly’s Communities, Equality and Local Government Committee two years ago “fuel poverty should have a higher profile in the Welsh Government’s tackling poverty action plan, because it is a fundamental human need to have a warm home”.
“In 2012, almost 30% of Welsh households were estimated to be in fuel poverty, spending 10% or more on household income on fuel to maintain heat adequate enough to safeguard comfort and health.
Changes in household incomes and fuel prices saw this fall to 23% in 2016, but that still represents 291,000 households in Wales, including 43,000 in severe fuel poverty.
“There is no realistic prospect of achieving the 2018 target of eradicating fuel poverty in Wales – and, as Age Cymru state, “many of the mechanisms and measures contained within the Welsh Government’s 2010 Fuel Poverty Strategy are out of date or no longer applicable”- adding “the time is right for the Welsh Government to refresh its Fuel Poverty Strategy, with a clear programme and time scales, credible evidence base and ambitious new fuel poverty target rooted in delivery rather than being a hostage to energy price movements”.
“Working with Fuel Poverty Coalition Members, the new cross party group will campaign to place Fuel Poverty at the heart of action to tackle poverty, with strong emphasis on all sectors taking responsibility together.”