Member of Parliament for Delyn, Rob Roberts, has been elected Chair of the newly formed All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Fuel Poverty & Energy Efficiency.
The APPG, made up of a cross-party group of MPs, will be working to maintain awareness of these important issues in Parliament and advocate for policies which deliver affordable warmth, improved domestic energy efficiency, and eradicate fuel poverty in Delyn and throughout the United Kingdom.
With Covid worsening the situation for many fuel poor households, as many will have seen an increase in energy usage and a reduction in income, the work of the APPG will now be more important than ever.
Following the APPG’s first meeting and election of its officers, the group will first be looking to support vulnerable utility customers and review the government targets across the UK to end fuel poverty.
As Rob was elected as the Member of Parliament for Delyn, in 2019 on a Conservative Manifesto which championed energy efficiency measures, he is glad to be leading the APPG which will continue to push the Government to fulfil its commitments.
While the UK Government is already leading the way in green policies, as seen last November with the Prime Minister’s 10 Point Plan for a green economic recovery, it is vital these measures put affordability at the centre and help the most vulnerable households. The APPG therefore welcome the continuation of the GB-wide Energy Company Obligation (ECO) and the expansion of the Warm Home Discount.
From a personal perspective, Rob will be looking to develop a uniform definition of fuel poverty across the four nations of the UK and work on revising the energy efficiency ratings of properties – which currently perversely incentivises installing higher polluting energy sources and disproportionately impacts rural households such as those in Delyn.
Rob has already started this work on a local level as he has met with the UK’s major energy providers to find out the support available for their customers back in Delyn, who may be struggling with increased bills.
Commenting on the APPG, Rob said:
“With Coronavirus impacting many vulnerable and rural household’s energy bills and usage, there has never been a more pressing time to be focussing on tackling fuel poverty and increasing energy efficiency measures in the UK.
“Consequently, I am delighted to have been elected the new Chair of the APPG and will be looking to delve into these issues in greater detail with Ministers and colleagues in Westminster and in the Senedd – as I know Mark Isherwood MS has led on the issue in Wales as Chair of the Senedd’s Cross Party Group on Fuel Poverty and Energy Efficiency.
“Ultimately, I am determined that rural communities like those in Delyn are not left behind and will equally benefit from UK Government schemes which improve energy efficiency and alleviate fuel poverty.”
With National Energy Action supporting the APPG as the group's secretariat, Rob and the APPG are looking forward to raising the profile of these issues, especially with the final Net Zero Cost Review on the way.