Green homes efforts ‘not up to the challenge’

Llyr Gruffydd: Discussed Plaid’s home improvement plan

PLAID CYMRU’S Shadow Environment Minister Llyr Gruffydd has said that Labour is not up to the challenge of climate change, and that the Party of Wales’ plan to introduce a new home energy efficiency programme is necessary if Wales is to meet its emissions target.

Mr Gruffydd criticised the Labour government’s current efforts to retrofit homes warning that their energy efficiency programmes are nowhere near the scale required to meet the size of the challenge. At the current rate of the Labour government’s efforts to retrofit homes, he said, it would take 78 years to achieve the level of energy efficiency required in Welsh homes.

Plaid Cymru has promised to bring forward the biggest energy efficiency programme Wales has ever seen.

Mr Gruffydd said: “A Plaid Cymru Government after May will embark on the biggest home energy efficiency programme that Wales has ever seen. A multi billion pound programme to transform what is at the moment one of the most energy inefficient housing stocks in Europe.

“Not only would this help with stimulating job creation, it would also tackle fuel poverty and reduce carbon emissions. A win, win, win for Wales.

“Bringing all the worst performing houses up to an adequate rating would reduce greenhouse gas emissions from housing by 40%, and reduce the number of households in fuel poverty by 40%, reducing energy bills for people in Wales by £423m every year.

“This would bring a staggering 132,000 households out of fuel poverty, which has the added benefit of reducing the amount of respiratory illnesses and coldrelated winter deaths amongst the elderly – taking some of the pressure off our stretched health services.

“And in the process it would create over 6,000 direct jobs, and over 14,000 gross jobs, when you take supply chain spending and the multiplier effect into account.

“Labour has been content with its modest programmes that have had limited success. It’s clear that Labour is not up to the challenge, and that more decisive action is required. A Plaid Cymru government is that change that Wales needs.”