Prynhawn Da, Good Afternoon,
And thank you to NEA Cymru, in partnership with Calor, for inviting me to host this event to launch a new Off-Gas Advice Pack for advisors, AMs, MPs and councillors working with fuel poor households in rural Wales.
Fuel poverty affects nearly 1 in 4 Welsh households, but those living in rural areas are twice as likely to be in fuel poverty as those in urban areas, caused by a combination of homes being more difficult and expensive to insulate, wages being lower and the cost of off-gas fuels being much higher than mains gas.
The bilingual advice pack being launched focuses on the issues and solutions for households without access to mains gas who are struggling with their energy bills.
It includes information on reducing heat loss in homes, heating and hot water systems, renewable and new technologies, grants and advice and issues around buying unmetered fuels.
During 2010-13, Calor supported NEA Cymru to deliver a 3 year Energy Advisorship project designed to help fuel poor households in rural, off gas communities in Wales to reduce their energy consumption through a community led approach, and to develop a policy report sharing the findings of the project.
As Chair of the Cross Party Group on Fuel Poverty throughout the last two Assembly terms, I was privileged to speak at the Project’s Launch, to Sponsor the January 2012 report launch of the Project’s Year 2 findings, and to sponsor the NEA Cymru and Calor Reception – Assisting Fuel Poor Communities in Rural Wales - in June 2013, which showcased the findings of the 3 year Energy Advisorship Programme.
Guests had the opportunity to hear from community advisors involved in the project about its challenges and outcomes - and the Report on the Project’s findings was presented to the Welsh Government, detailing how it assisted fuel poor households in off grid rural communities across Wales to reduce their energy consumption, and encouraged local communities to work together to promote best practice in energy efficiency and carbon reduction, with the overall aim of reducing levels of fuel poverty in off grid areas.
As part of the programme, a Guide was produced to give information and advice to households off the mains gas network.
The Advice Pack being launched today is an update of this guide, giving practical advice on saving energy and reducing fuel costs for homes off the mains gas grid, and providing a useful resource for officers working with households struggling with fuel poverty in off mains gas network areas.
The work of the Assembly Cross Party Group on Fuel Poverty led to the establishment of both the Wales Fuel Poverty Coalition and the Wales Fuel Poverty Charter, involving partners from the private, voluntary and community sectors to eradicate Fuel Poverty and support fuel poor households to stay warm in the meantime.
As NEA Cymru stated at last month’s Wales Annual Fuel Poverty Conference:
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 and the scale of resources earmarked”.
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.
Increased household incomes and decreased fuel prices saw this fall to 23% in 2016, but that still represents 291,000 households, and 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, Fuel Poverty must be placed at the heart of action to tackle poverty, with strong emphasis on all sectors taking responsibility together.
We must embrace co-productive preventative services – and I therefore commend NEA Cymru and Calor for their new “Off – Gas Advice Pack”, which we are here to launch today.
Diolch…