The Welsh Government completed a public consultation in April 2022 on the future of the next iteration of the Warm Homes Programme, according to a renewable energy progress update published on 20 September 20221. The consultation is listed among the milestones recorded against the programme's energy advice recommendation, which covers the Warm Homes Programme and the emerging Heat Strategy1.
The update states that a business case is being developed to inform options for the next iteration of the Warm Homes Programme, including advice services1. Carbon Savings Trust and Regen have been appointed as independent expert advisors to support development of the Heat Strategy1. An advice service continues to operate as part of the Nest demand led fuel poverty scheme, led by British Gas and the Energy Saving Trust, which the update says typically provides tailored advice and refers households to third party services for over 15,000 households per year1.
The recommendation itself sets out the intended shape of support:
"We want to see an easy to access advice service set up to help people improve the energy efficiency and smart performance of their homes and businesses as well as a ready supply of trusted suppliers and installers of low carbon heating systems in Wales. We will scope additional actions as we develop our future Warm Homes Programme and Heat Strategy."
The same document places the programme within a wider Welsh renewable energy vision, which is for Wales to generate renewable energy to at least fully meet its energy needs and to use surplus generation to tackle the nature and climate emergencies, alongside accelerating action to reduce energy demand1. A separate recommendation commits to scaling up local energy plans into a national energy plan by 2024, mapping future energy demand and supply across Wales1. Four Regional Energy Strategies have been completed and Local Area Energy Plan pilots delivered in Newport and Conwy, with the Energy System Catapult appointed as technical advisor to support plans across all local authorities in Wales by 20241.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Consultation completed | April 20221 |
| Policy direction for new Warm Homes Programme | By autumn 20221 |
| New Warm Homes Programme rollout | Expected from 20231 |
| Heat Strategy publication | End of 20231 |
Why it matters for households
The Warm Homes Programme is one of the main routes by which Welsh households on lower incomes have accessed energy efficiency measures, so the design of its next iteration determines what support is available and on what terms. The update confirms that the consultation stage has closed but does not set out what respondents said, what measures the new programme will fund, or what eligibility will look like; those details have not been reported1. The stated intention is an easy to access advice service covering energy efficiency and the smart performance of homes, plus a supply of trusted suppliers and installers of low carbon heating1. For a household, the practical questions of what is funded, who qualifies and how to apply therefore remain open until the policy direction and programme details are published. The parallel Heat Strategy work, due at the end of 2023, is where the approach to low carbon heating in Welsh homes is being developed1.
What happens next
The update lists the next steps over the six months from September 2022 as using lessons learned and consultation responses to inform a policy direction for the new Warm Homes Programme by autumn 2022, rolling out the new programme from 2023 with support from the Building Research Establishment, and conducting stakeholder engagement on the Heat Strategy, due for publication at the end of 20231.