Lib Dems Take Climate Minister to Task on Home Insulation

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have today reiterated their calls for the Welsh Labour Government to do more to insulate homes during a Senedd debate today following news that plans for a new Warm Homes Programme are imminent.

During plenary, Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds said that Labour was not acting fast enough to help decarbonise the housing sector or to tackle fuel poverty.

A previous analysis by the Welsh Liberal Democrats showed that Labour’s current home insulation programme was so slow it could take between 111-135 years to insulate every fuel-poor home in Wales.

Wales currently has some of Western Europe’s oldest and least energy-efficient housing stock.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have called for an emergency insulation programme, claiming not only would it help tackle climate change and lead to an average saving of £600 per year per household, but also create 10,000 jobs and reduce NHS spending on cold-related illnesses such as pneumonia.

Commenting Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader and Mid & West Wales Senedd Member Jane Dodds said:

“Autumn and winter will be back upon us faster than we know, and it is vital that there are no delays in introducing a new programme.

“It was even more concerning that the Minister said the programme will ‘make no difference at all to households currently in fuel poverty’.

“Labour have failed time and time again to take home insulation in Wales seriously. Insulating our homes is not only vital for protecting families against spiraling energy costs and tackling climate change, but also for creating new jobs and reducing the amount of money we spend on cold-related illnesses in the NHS.

“The people of Wales cannot afford to wait for Labour to dither and delay on this issue and to eventually follow the Conservatives in Westminster, we need action now before its too late.”