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110,000 more Welsh families to receive £150 off energy bills this winter

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Major expansion of Warm Home Discount aims to ease cost of living pressures

MORE than 110,000 additional families in Wales will receive £150 off their energy bills this winter, as part of a UK-wide expansion of the Warm Home Discount scheme.

The UK Labour Government says the move, part of its wider Plan for Change, will extend support to 2.7 million more households across the UK, including 900,000 extra families with children and 1.8 million households currently living in fuel poverty. The discount will now be automatically applied to all billpayers on means-tested benefits, removing previous eligibility restrictions.

The scheme complements the Welsh Government’s long-running Warm Homes Nest Programme, which since 2011 has provided free energy efficiency improvements to over 60,000 homes across Wales.

The First Minister of Wales, Eluned Morgan, welcomed the announcement, stating:

“With Welsh Government support to make homes cheaper to run, and £150 cut to the bills of an extra 110,000 families in Wales, two Labour governments are working together to bring bills down and put pounds back in people’s pockets.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the move was part of his government’s mission to provide greater security to working people:

“Providing security and peace of mind is deeply personal to me. Extending this support to millions more families will make a real difference.”

The announcement comes as the energy price cap is set to fall again in July, further reducing bills for many. Additional changes to the energy market, including Ofgem’s proposed debt reduction strategy, are also expected to lower household costs by reducing the burden of unpaid energy bills from the 2022–24 crisis period.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said the Warm Home Discount expansion “demonstrates this government’s commitment to putting money back into people’s pockets,” while Jayne Bryant MS, Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government, criticised opposition parties for failing to back similar support measures:

“Plaid Cymru refused to support our Warm Homes Programme in the Senedd Budget vote. Meanwhile, Labour governments are delivering cheaper bills and warmer homes.”

Alongside the energy measures, the government has highlighted other elements of its Plan for Change, including increases to the minimum wage—worth up to £1,400 a year for 160,000 low-income workers in Wales—free school meals and breakfast clubs, an extension of 30 hours of free childcare, and school uniform cost reductions.

All pensioners in England and Wales earning £35,000 or less will also benefit from Winter Fuel Payments, with around nine million expected to receive support this winter.

The government says the Warm Home Discount expansion will be funded in part by efficiency savings in the energy system, including a confirmed cut in supplier operating cost allowances under the price cap.

Officials say the reforms are part of a wider shift away from volatile global fossil fuel markets towards clean, homegrown energy, combining short-term relief with long-term resilience.

 

News

Crackwell Street set to reopen after five-month closure

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ROADWORKS linked to structural repairs at Goscar House in Tenby are nearing completion, with Crackwell Street expected to reopen to through traffic today (Wednesday, June 24).

Scaffolding has now been removed from the property, with contractors carrying out a general clearance of the area.

The road has been closed for around five months while structural repair work has been taking place.

Local residents, businesses and visitors are expected to welcome the reopening, with Crackwell Street forming an important route through the town.

Pembrokeshire County Council has indicated that, all being well, the road will reopen later today.

Gareth Davies, of Gareth Davies Photography Tenby, said it was “good to see the removal of scaffolding today and general clearance on the property”.

He added that locals and visitors would be “so pleased” to see the road open once again.

Photo caption:

Clearance work: Contractors at Crackwell Street, Tenby, as scaffolding is removed from Goscar House (Pic: Gareth Davies).

 

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Crime

Dock woman given mental health treatment order after supermarket thefts

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A PEMBROKE DOCK woman has been placed on a mental health treatment requirement after repeatedly stealing meat, cheese and other grocery items from local supermarkets.

Lisa Stewart, 45, admitted three theft offences when she appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week.

The first offence took place on March 11, when Stewart stole Vanish, Lenor and three packs of Persil capsules from Home Bargains in Pembroke Dock, with a total value of £58.41.

The following month, she stole four small beef joints, four steaks and three blocks of cheese from Asda in Pembroke Dock, worth £55.68.

Seven days later, she stole four legs of lamb from Farmfoods in Pembroke Dock, valued at £99.96.

Stewart, of Truscott House, London Road, Pembroke Dock, also pleaded guilty to failing to surrender to police bail on or around May 26.

She was represented in court by solicitor Alaw Harries, who told magistrates the thefts involved items of relatively low value and were not the result of “sophisticated offending”.

“The defendant has had an exceptionally difficult time, as last year she lost her partner to cancer and has struggled profoundly to process that grief,” said Ms Harries.

“Instead, she has attempted to cope by taking more of her prescribed medication than she should. And this is what has led her to be here today.”

Ms Harries said Stewart is now motivated to address her issues.

Magistrates sentenced Stewart to an 18-month community order. She must complete 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days, a 12-month mental health treatment requirement and a 12-month drug rehabilitation requirement.

The order will include monthly reviews in court.

Stewart must also pay £214.05 compensation to the supermarkets, together with a £114 surcharge and £85 costs.

 

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Crime

Grandmother banned after cocaine drug-drive offence

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A GRANDMOTHER has been banned from the roads after being caught behind the wheel with 800 mcg of a cocaine metabolite in her system.

Eleri Phillips, 57, was stopped by police in the early hours of December 18 as she drove her Audi Q5 along Derwent Avenue, Steynton.

A roadside drugs swipe proved positive, and further blood tests carried out at the police station showed she had 45 mcg of cocaine in her system and 800 mcg of benzoylecgonine, a cocaine metabolite.

The legal limits are 10 mcg and 50 mcg respectively.

Phillips, of Brook Close, Steynton, Milford Haven, pleaded guilty to two drug-driving charges when she appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates. She was legally represented by solicitor Michael Kelleher.

“She is absolutely ashamed of what has happened,” Mr Kelleher told the court.

“She had been out with friends that evening and someone offered her cocaine. Very foolishly, she took it.

“As a result, she is now going to be disqualified from driving, which is going to cause problems not only for her but for her family, as she regularly helps look after her grandchildren with general pick-ups from school.”

Phillips was disqualified from driving for 12 months and fined £120. She must also pay £85 court costs and a £48 surcharge.

 

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