The Welsh Government has confirmed that a full public Warm Homes advice service will be launched on 1 April 2024, following a period of mobilisation and integration1. The confirmation appears in its renewable energy deep dive biannual recommendations update, published on 12 March 2024 and last updated on 21 March 20241.
The service was specified around a policy statement published in June 2023, and consists of three lots: an independent advice service, a deliver agent and a quality assessor function1. According to the update, the advice service will provide impartial advice to all on the steps they can take to use energy more efficiently and further resources and potential sources of funding where applicable1. Once launched, it will continue to make links with partners locally and nationally, and with GB-wide energy efficiency and fuel poverty schemes, to leverage funding into Wales and support as many households as possible1.
"A full public service will be launched on 1 April 2024."
The same update sets out progress on related energy planning. The development of Local Area Energy Plans is described as on schedule for completion by the end of March 2024, at which point they will be scaled up to form regional and national views1. Those scaled up plans will form the basis of a National Energy Plan, which the government says it will publish by the end of 20241.
On heating, the government published its Heat Strategy consultation document in summer 2023; the consultation closed on 8 November 20231. It says it will publish its consultation response, final heat strategy and associated action plan in spring 20241. The update also records public engagement work, including a Climate Action Wales public engagement strategy published in July 2023, a digital hub and national campaign covering actions to reduce energy consumption and improve energy efficiency within homes, and a Wales Climate Week 2023 virtual conference featuring 28 sessions and 4,162 live views1.
| Commitment | Date given |
|---|---|
| Full public Warm Homes advice service launch | 1 April 20241 |
| Local Area Energy Plans completion | End of March 20241 |
| Heat Strategy consultation closed | 8 November 20231 |
| Heat Strategy consultation response and final strategy | Spring 20241 |
| National Energy Plan publication | End of 20241 |
Why it matters for households
A single advice route matters because energy efficiency decisions in a home usually involve several separate questions at once: what work is worth doing, what it costs, who can do it and what funding exists. The update states the service will cover steps to use energy more efficiently and will point to further resources and potential sources of funding where applicable1. It also states the service will be impartial1, and that it will link with GB-wide energy efficiency and fuel poverty schemes to draw funding into Wales1.
For a household, the practical effect is a route to information that is not tied to a particular installer or product, at a point when the Heat Strategy is still in consultation and the National Energy Plan is not yet published1. The update does not set out eligibility rules, funding amounts, delivery partners or how households will be referred into the service; those details have not been reported in this update1. The wider context is a stated vision 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.
What happens next
The service launches on 1 April 20241. The Heat Strategy consultation response, final strategy and action plan are due in spring 20241. The National Energy Plan is due by the end of 20241.