Electric Vehicles and Housing

Conference notes:

A. The Welsh Government declared a climate change emergency in 2019.

B. A ban on new petrol and diesel only cars and vans will be introduced in 2030.

C. The 2021 Electric Vehicle Charging strategy states that Wales needs 30,000 to 55,000 fast charging points by 2030.

D. Transport makes up 17% of Wales’ carbon emissions but housing makes up an even larger proportion at 21%.

E. Wales has some of the oldest and least thermally efficient housing stock in the UK and Europe.

F. New gas boilers will be banned by 2035.

Conference believes:

i. That the Welsh and UK Governments are moving too slowly to roll out electric charging infrastructure and incentivise green energy.

ii. The Conservative decision to restrict onshore wind and reduce the feed-in tariff on solar panels was a huge environmental mistake, slowing down the decarbonisation of the country.

iii. There are too many cars on our roads, and that Wales needs to see a significant modal shift to public transport and active travel.

iv. The heat pump subsidy of £5,000 is too low, making the technology too expensive for most people.

Conference calls on the Welsh Government to:

1. Ensure that every new domestic property build has an electric charging point, solar panels and a heat pump.

2. Provide additional subsidy to households to install heat pumps.

3. Support communities across Wales to accelerate the roll out of electric vehicle charging points, and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure.

4. Support service stations to provide rapid charging points, and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure on trunk roads and motorways.

5. Explore the use of hybrid heating systems, where properties have a hydrogen/biomethane boiler alongside an air-source heat pump. Allowing the delivery of the most carbon efficient heat at the lowest possible cost.

Conference Calls on the Welsh Policy Development Committee to:

I. Explore measures to leverage National Grid investment where required in rural areas to enable projects such as industrial expansion, the introduction of electric vehicle charging points and solar panels on homes.

II. To consider how Community Energy cooperatives could be supported so that local communities see the benefits of renewable energy production in their area.