Environment Minister Responds to Campaign by Welsh Anti-Fuel Poverty Campaigners

The Welsh minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing, Jane Davidson AM has formally responded to a Charter presented to her by the Welsh Fuel Poverty Coalition earlier this year.

The charter detailed the level of fuel poverty in the country, with up to 320,000 homes having said to be affected. Fuel poverty is defined as where an individual or household is forced to spend 10% or more of their income to keep their home heated to a reasonable level.

The problem is said to be magnified in Wales because of a lack of gas connections in rural areas, higher numbers of low income households and large amounts of housing built with poor insulation.
A consultation has been launched this month by the Welsh Assembly Government which will assess the problem and attempt to:

• Improve levels of advice and support
• Encourage more joined up provision of services and working together
• Develop an area based energy efficiency programme
• Support community level action
• Help householders to pay for energy improvements
• Maximise income
• Help householders get the best deal on energy
• Encourage landlords to improve the efficiency of their properties
• Encourage local authorities, Local Health Boards and their partners to help tackle fuel poverty

The initiative aims to produce as much of the required energy through renewable methods as possible. As such, 65,000 homes in Wales will be assessed for energy efficiency and 40,000 will be improved for efficiency under the ‘Head of the Valleys’ regeneration scheme. The minister has also allowed changes to planning rules so that permission is no longer required for:

• Small scale solar panels
• Ground source heat pumps
• Biomass flues

The fuel poverty consultation will come to a conclusion on 4th January.

January 4, 2010 in Green Energy Articles | Permalink | No Comments