Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:01 pm on 4 October 2022.
Thank you very much. As you know, homes across mid and west Wales are more reliant on off-grid fuel such as oil and biomass than other parts of Wales. In Carmarthenshire, 39 per cent of homes are not connected to the gas grid; 55 per cent in Powys, and 74 per cent in Ceredigion. This compares with an average of 19 per cent across Wales. Unlike gas, there has been no cap on the cost of this fuel. One constituent has contacted me to say that the price of his oil has increased. He paid some £269 for 1,000 litres of oil a year ago, but that’s increased to £939 this year. And in the disastrous mini-budget of last week, the Tories announced £100, which is a pittance that won’t do anything other than scratch the surface for these kinds of households. And although, First Minister, we welcome the additional £200 that the Welsh Government has provided, I do hope you realise that this is not adequate either in rural areas. Therefore, will you commit to looking at what additional support you can provide to support these households?