Warm homes - our asks for Wales

We're in the grip of multiple crises – the cost-of-living crisis, the energy crisis and the climate crisis. These crises are interconnected, and they've made one thing clear: we urgently need to fix our broken energy system.  

We have the solutions to cut bills and reduce emissions, and we want to see them implemented urgently to provide warm homes that don’t cost the Earth.

Our asks for Wales

1. We call on the UK government to increase the devolved budget so Wales can deliver a scaled-up home insulation programme. 

Wales has some of the leakiest, energy-inefficient homes in the UK. Rising bills and poorly-insulated homes have led to 45% of Welsh households now facing fuel poverty, according to the Welsh Government's estimates.  

Upgrading homes with insulation is the cheapest and easiest way to permanently reduce our bills and keep people warm.  

The Welsh Government is introducing a Warm Homes programme to help homes in Wales, with cross-party support in the Senedd, but more funding is needed from Westminster to deliver this.

The Welsh Government should join us in calling on the UK government to increase the devolved budget, ensuring Wales has access to its fair share of funding, and is able to deliver a scaled-up home insulation programme. 

2. We call on the Welsh Government to urgently implement its new Warm Homes programme targeted at fuel-poor households, and to publish plans for the second part of its programme, to support the energy efficiency and decarbonisation of all Wales’ homes.

3. Prioritise an energy system for Wales based on renewable energy and low-carbon heating. 

Our current energy system is broken. Instead of ensuring everyone can afford to keep their homes warm, it prioritises huge profits for fossil fuel companies.  

We need to build an energy system that keeps us warm, without costing the Earth, by developing our homegrown, clean and cheap renewables – like solar and wind – and moving away from expensive and polluting fossil fuels. 

In Wales, we have excellent examples of community-owned renewable energy companies, giving us energy security and reinvesting the profits into Welsh communities. By doing this, we can bring down bills and cut emissions at the same time.   

We're calling on the Welsh Government to urgently set up Ynni Cymru as a publicly-owned company to expand community renewable energy. We want to see plans to develop workforce skills, and better funding for developing new sustainable technologies. We're also calling for a clear plan for expanding low-carbon heating in Wales.  

At the same time, the Welsh Government must end the extraction, extension and expansion of coal in Wales – and introduce a clear ban on coal mining. The Welsh Government should call on the UK government to reform the energy market and urgently impose a windfall tax on oil and gas companies to finance support for the most vulnerable households.

Want to get involved?

We've created tailored briefings for every constituency. Download yours and share it with your MP to tell them how the energy crisis is impacting people in your local area and how they can lobby the UK Government to commit to more funding for insulation in Wales. Find out more tips for engaging your local community and your MP with the United for Warm Homes campaign here.