A flagship Welsh Government scheme aimed at tackling fuel poverty would take about 125 years to support every low-income household at the current rate, the Senedd has heard.

Mark Isherwood, the Conservatives' shadow housing secretary, warned the Warm Homes Nest programme has insufficient funding to address the scale of fuel poverty.

Pointing to an urgent need to improve the energy efficiency of fuel-poor households, he told the Senedd that the scheme supports about 1,600 homes a year.

He said: “At the current rate… it will take well over a century to improve the energy efficiency of the homes of all our lower income households currently estimated to be in fuel poverty.

Siân Gwenllian, the Arfon Senedd member warned of a lack of clarity on the policy objective, with the Warm Homes programme “somehow” seeking to balance net zero and fuel poverty.

Ms Gwenllian said: “In some cases, both things could go hand in hand. But it can also lead to conflict when you're trying to achieve two policy objectives within a single programme.”

Her Plaid Cymru colleague Llŷr Gruffydd said investment is “woefully short” of what’s required, with Wales having the least energy-efficient housing in western Europe.

The North Wales politician told the Senedd: “While there are good things happening, they’re not happening at the pace or the scale required to make an impact.”

In a statement to the Senedd on 14 January, Jayne Bryant said the Welsh Government has invested more than £30m in the revamped Warm Homes Nest scheme.

Ms Bryant said: “We're tackling fuel poverty through a two-pronged strategy: providing expert advice to Welsh households while delivering physical improvements to our least energy efficient homes, which cost more to heat.

“Our renewed programme, launched in April, is already making a real difference.”