The Welsh Government has announced £17 million for home energy upgrades, aimed at cutting household energy bills and tackling fuel poverty.

The announcement comes after a review of the existing Warm Homes programme identified opportunities to go further and faster on improving home energy efficiency. This was completed as part of the Welsh Government's First 100 Days commitments.

The funding will be spread across three programmes. The Optimised Retrofit Programme will receive £8 million to retrofit social housing with energy efficiency measures and £5 million will go to the Nest scheme, which supports eligible households in the private sector.

The remaining £4 million will fund new area-based activity, which will include the targeting of rural and off-grid households that rely on heating oil or liquefied petroleum gas.

Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning, Siân Gwenllian recently visited Parc Penrhiw in Ammanford, where residents have seen monthly energy costs fall from around £200 to under £100 following upgrades including solar panels, battery storage, insulation, and modern heating systems.

She said: "What we've seen at Parc Penrhiw shows exactly why this investment matters. These are real families spending less to live safely and comfortably in their homes, with lower energy bills putting more money back into people's pockets and helping with the cost of living.

"This £17 million is just the beginning and will help us reach more households across Wales, supporting more families with the cost of living while making a genuine difference to people's lives."