Minister meets energy companies in bid to tackle fuel poverty

Labour's Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing, Jane Davidson has today met with the Energy Retail Association (ERA) , who represent energy suppliers, today as part of on-going efforts to tackle fuel poverty.

Last month, Ms Davidson attended a summit of UK Ministers, energy suppliers and voluntary sector interests, hosted by the energy regulator Ofgem, to agree actions to help the most vulnerable throughout the UK. Today’s meeting aims to ensure that energy suppliers work in partnership with the Assembly Government to ensure the agreed actions reflect the needs of the people of Wales.

Jane Davidson said: “The most vulnerable people in Wales are the least able to pay rising gas and electricity bills. Rising prices will inevitably have a negative impact on fuel poverty in Wales. We are looking at what we can do within the areas of the Assembly Government’s powers to mitigate this and we are determined to do everything we can to work with key players, such as energy suppliers'.

She told the meeting that the Assembly Government aimed to have a National Energy Efficiency & Saving Plan ready for consultation by the end of the year:

“A big part of the work on the Energy Efficiency & Saving Plan will be the review of our fuel poverty strategy and the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme. Our Fuel Poverty Advisory Group will provide the focus for this review, and we will use the members’ existing networks to engage with a wider audience .We are strengthening the Fuel Poverty Advisory Group by making the Chair a public appointment.”

Ms Davidson said the Assembly Government’s One Wales commitments to reduce the carbon emissions of households would also help reduce bills and earlier this month it was announced that Wales is going to be part of a pilot programme to extend the Low Carbon Building Programme to reduce fuel poverty.

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