4. Statement by the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs: Fuel Poverty Plan

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:58 pm on 2 March 2021.

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Photo of Lesley Griffiths Lesley Griffiths Labour 3:58, 2 March 2021

Thank you. In relation to heat pumps, one of the issues we have had—and as you say, why we're not using that technology more—is around supply, and I think as we see more supply come to the fore, we will be able to do that, and certainly I mentioned in an earlier answer around different boilers being phased out, that is something that we will have to seek to improve on.

In relation to the private rented sector, again—and I referred to this in an earlier answer—more than 40 per cent of our private rented sector housing in Wales is over 100 years old and that obviously shows that about 20 per cent of those households are living in fuel poverty, so clearly we need to look at that very carefully. We do have regulations; we have the minimum energy efficiency standards; they were imposed on the private rented sector; the regulations are obviously enforced by local authorities; they've got powers from Rent Smart Wales that carry that out. And it does mean that since 2018, so three years ago, private landlords may not let domestic properties on new tenancies to new or existing tenants if the EPC rating is F or G, unless an exemption applies. And then from last year, from I think it was April last year, the prohibition of letting EPC F and G properties will extend to all relevant properties, even when there's been no change in tenancy. This is something—. I referred in an earlier answer to the exemplar houses that Julie James has brought forward, our innovative housing programme. We need to ensure that nobody's left behind, that all parts of the housing sector are included in more improved energy efficiency.