Further to the Minister's statement in Plenary on 8 November 2022, does the Welsh Government still intend to introduce a new national, demand-led energy efficiency grant scheme focused on homes in fuel poverty to be procured and operational before next winter?
Officials are developing the next iteration of the Warm Homes Programme, which in its current form has helped tens of thousands of Welsh households to reduce their bills and energy consumption. I expect to procure a new, demand led scheme which tackles both the climate emergency and fuel poverty before the end of the year. There will be no gap in provision between the new and existing programmes.
The new programme will consider the experience and lessons learned from delivering the existing programme alongside the views gathered through the consultation undertaken in 2022. The new scheme will also reflect recommendations from the Climate Change, Energy and Infrastructure, and the Equality and Social Justice Committees as well as various audits.