Mick Bates holds Minister to account on flat-line budget for HEES (Montgomeryshire Liberal Democrats)

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Montgomeryshire Liberal Democrats <montlibdems@gmail.com>

Mick Bates holds Minister to account on flat-line budget for HEES

October 15, 2008 4:00 PM

As the heat is turned up on fuel poverty, Montgomeryshire AM Mick Bates has held the Minister to account in the chamber on the provisional budget for improving energy efficiency in the home under HEES (Home Energy Efficiency Scheme) and warns that without an urgent review of the scheme, HEES will be cold comfort to those living in fuel poverty this winter.

Mick Bates AM:

"There is still much to be done to tackle rising fuel poverty in Wales. Since January 2008, energy prices have risen by a staggering 44% for gas and 27% for electricity for domestic customers in the UK, which is a staggering rise and leaves many people unable to afford to heat their home.

"As a result of rising fuel costs, it is estimated that 340,000 households, 1 in 3 households in Wales, will be living in fuel poverty in Wales this winter. This is a serious issue for millions of families and individuals as it brings poor health, isolation, debt and worry.

"The Wales Audit Office recently reported that 'achieving further improvements in domestic energy efficiency is likely to be more challenging in the future', yet under the draft budget there been no increase to the capital expenditure on the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme since last year, only a rise in admin revenue expenditure, which will not provide a single extra boiler or insulation to those people who will be unable to heat their home this winter.

"Currently only 54% of people are eligible for the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme. The scheme clearly needs urgent review, to target those who are living in fuel poverty or most at risk of fuel poverty and I am disappointed that the Minister will not bring forward the review of this scheme so that it can bring real benefits to people this winter.

"Demand for HEES vastly outstrips current funding and it is vital that funding for this scheme is increased to reflect the escalating numbers of people living in fuel poverty. This must be combined with a review of the eligibility criteria under the HEES, so that the fuel poor are prioritised under future delivery of the scheme and we see better targeted resources in the future."

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