Oral Statement (Wales): Warm Homes - Jan 14

Jayne Bryant, Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government: Presiding Officer, the people of Wales spoke clearly when the First Minister, Eluned Morgan visited communities across Wales and asked people what mattered most to them.  

Today I'm here to show how we're turning those words into action. 

We're making homes warmer, bills lower, and taking concrete steps to tackle the climate emergency - and I want to outline exactly what that means for families across our nation. 

This decade must be a decade of action on climate, and we are backing that commitment with more than £30 million this year alone in our enhanced Warm Homes Nest scheme. 

Our approach is comprehensive and targeted.  

We're tackling fuel poverty through a two-pronged strategy: providing expert advice to Welsh households, while delivering physical improvements to our least energy efficient homes, which cost more to heat. 

Our renewed programme, launched in April, is already making a real difference.  

Here's what it means. If people are struggling with fuel bills, our advisers will work with them to identify the most effective improvements for their homes. They'll provide practical tips to boost energy efficiency, reduce bills, and guide people toward additional support services where needed. 

It might be better insulation, it might be solar panels, or even a heat pump. 

I want to be clear about who can get this help. We've widened the net. If a household income is below 60% of the typical Welsh income, it could qualify for help. This is about helping everyone who needs support, regardless of their circumstances. 

We know that for families across Wales, heating isn't "nice to have" - it's essential.  

That's why, since April, we've helped more than 100 vulnerable households who were in crisis as a result of broken boilers. Real people, with real problems, getting real help when they needed it most.  

And we're helping people in social housing too.  Just last month, I visited Denbighshire's Llys Esgob Morgan development. The housing association, ClwydAlyn, have used Welsh Government funding to improve energy efficiency through both traditional insulation methods and innovative products. That means warmer homes for people in Denbighshire. 

And here's what makes me particularly proud - 90% of the money we spend improving our social housing is going straight to Welsh businesses and Welsh workers.  

That's local jobs, local supply chains, and local families benefiting directly from our investment. 

We have a proud record. We are reviewing Part L of our Building Regulations to ensure new builds in Wales are more energy efficient, with the aim of driving up the use of low-carbon heating systems like heat pumps. 

 We've also poured over £2 billion into making our social housing better over the last 20 years. That investment got us to where we are today, with our social homes hitting an average EPC rating of D. But we're not stopping there. This year kicks off our new, bolder standard - one that demands every single social home in Wales reaches EPC C by 2030 before pressing on to EPC A, the highest level of energy efficiency.  

That means stable bills and a smaller carbon footprint for thousands of Welsh families. 

The First Minister and I recently visited a remarkable Passivhaus development in Cardiff. These homes are so well built, they barely need heating at all. That's the future we're building with our investment.  

By 2030, every social home in Wales will meet high energy efficiency standards - that's not just an environmental target, it's a commitment to delivering lower bills, year after year for thousands of families. 

Our £260 million Optimised Retrofit Programme, which has spent £70 million this year alone, doesn't just help us tackle climate change - although that matters enormously - it's also about making sure nobody in Wales has to choose between warming their home and feeding their family. 

For homeowners who want to make changes but can't afford the initial   costs, we have   interest-free loans through our Green Homes Wales scheme. The uptake has been fantastic, over 2500 expressions of interest to date, evidence that people across Wales want to make their homes fit for the future. 

My colleague, Jane Hutt will be speaking later about additional support that could put money back in your pocket - but I won't steal her thunder.  

What I will say is this: there are billions in unclaimed support that should be helping Welsh families with their bills, and we want people to claim what they're entitled to. 

Let me finish with a message to anyone sitting at home worried about energy bills or wondering how to make their home warmer; please pick up the phone and call the Warm Homes Nest scheme.  

The Welsh Labour Government is ready to help you figure out what support is best for you. Because when we talk about living in warm homes, we're talking about dignity.  

We're talking about children who can focus on their homework instead of shivering. 

We're talking about families who shouldn't have to choose between necessities.  

This is what action looks like - help that reaches the homes and families who need it most. 

Every warm home, every reduced bill, every family helped – its more than a policy on paper, its real change happening right now across Wales making people's lives better. 

That's delivery in action.