Affordable Warmth Action Plans
NEA Cymru has worked with all 22 Welsh local authorities to help them develop affordable warmth action plans to tackle fuel poverty in their local areas.
The Heat is On
Following on from work on affordable warmth action plans, ‘The Heat is On' project, which is funded by SWALEC, will now allow NEA Cymru to work closely with scrutiny committees in two pilot areas to review the work that has already been done and to identify further measures that would enable even more people to be able to keep their homes warm this winter.
Scrutiny committees allow councillors, acting as representatives of the public, to hold the local authority's cabinet and officers as decision-makers to account and to undertake reviews of council service and policies. In Carmarthenshire, fuel poverty will be looked at as part of a wider review of anti-poverty issues in the area while Newport city council will look specifically at fuel poverty issues, building on a recent private sector house condition survey. In both areas, councillors will be encouraged to meet with local residents experiencing fuel poverty, to talk to voluntary organisations and other agencies working locally and to ensure that the project makes a real difference and affects future council policy. A national steering group has also been set up with representatives from voluntary, public and private sector organisations to help guide the two local authorities and to learn from their experiences.
Beating the Cold
A new guide has been produced to help local authorities and other organisations in Wales in the fight against fuel poverty. "Beating the Cold", published by NEA (National Energy Action) Cymru, brings together the experiences of the 22 Welsh local authorities and partner organisations to provide a guide to what works best when tackling fuel poverty. Funded by SWALEC and the Welsh Assembly Government, the guide provides examples of how communities are helping to combat fuel poverty on the ground so that local organisations working in other areas can replicate and learn from successful projects and help more people. The impact of these projects is illustrated with real quotes and examples from those tackling fuel poverty locally.
"Beating the Cold" is available to all local authorities and other organisations in Wales and can be used to inform the Affordable Warmth Action Plans, and to help local authorities and their partner organisations to identify and help fuel poor households. It is now available for download.