Newport Council to Withdraw from Regional Energy Scheme, Pursue Alternative Model with Warm Wales

Newport City Council will withdraw from a regional deal on retrofitting homes with low energy efficiency, to pursue an alternative service.
The council currently provides the ECO Flex scheme as part of the Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) partnership of 10 local authorities in South East Wales.
A new report shows the number of residents who have applied for the scheme – which centres around retrofitting properties with low energy efficiency performance – has been “poor”, however.
ECO Flex provides homeowners and the private rental sector with air source heat pumps, solar panels and insulation – and its eligibility criteria include people on lower incomes or with certain health conditions. 
Just five installations have reportedly been completed in Newport under the current CCR system, which uses a sole energy provider.
Uptake elsewhere, especially in rural parts of Wales, has been “significantly higher”, the council said in its report.
The “alternative model” outside of the CCR area sees councils either managing their own installers or partnering with Warm Wales – a community interest company which tackles fuel poverty.
The Newport Council report notes “multiple advantages” of switching to a deal with Warm Wales, including an increased range of suppliers, and “better opportunities” for marketing the scheme.
Cllr Yvonne Forsey, the cabinet member for climate change, has signed off on the plan to switch to the Warm Wales model, owing to the council’s desire to “establish a uniform approach that aligned with its carbon reduction objectives”.
The switch will not cost the council any money, according to the report, which states any costs will be covered by a “small” levy of £150 on installers for every application assessed. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

By BBC LDRS ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​