£70m to fight fuel poverty

Welsh Labour’s Minister for Natural Resources and Food, Alun Davies has announced an additional £70m to protect households in some of the most deprived parts of Wales from fuel poverty.

The Minister has confirmed that the Welsh Government will allocate £35m in 2014-15 and £35m in 2015-16 to encourage energy companies to invest in Wales. The additional £70m for fuel poverty was announced as part of the Welsh Government’s budget for 2014-15. It will help to boost economic growth, create jobs, tackle poverty and protect some of the most vulnerable people in Wales.

Energy companies already have an Energy Company Obligation to improve the energy efficiency of UK homes. The £70m will be used as match funding to incentivise them to invest in energy efficiency improvements in homes here in Wales rather than elsewhere in the UK.

The additional funding will sit alongside the Welsh Government’s existing strategic energy efficiency programme, Arbed. Phase 2 of Arbed has seen energy efficiency measures like external and internal insulation and efficient boilers being installed in over 4790 homes in some of the most deprived parts of Wales. Not only will this investment help reduce fuel bills in Welsh homes it will also provide increased opportunities for Welsh businesses and help to create high quality, local jobs.