Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000

2 Strategy relating to fuel poverty

(1) It shall be the duty of the appropriate authority to prepare and publish, before the end of the period of twelve months beginning with the relevant commencement, a strategy setting out the authority’s policies for ensuring, by means including the taking of measures to ensure the efficient use of energy, that as far as reasonably practicable persons do not live in fuel poverty.

(2) The strategy must—

(a) describe the households to which it applies,

(b) specify a comprehensive package of measures for ensuring the efficient use of energy, such as the installation of appropriate equipment or insulation,

(c) specify interim objectives to be achieved and target dates for achieving them, and

(d) specify a target date for achieving the objective of ensuring that as far as reasonably practicable persons in England or Wales do not live in fuel poverty.

(3) The target date specified under subsection (2)(d) must be not more than fifteen years after the date on which the strategy is published.

(4) In preparing the strategy or any revision of the strategy, the appropriate authority shall consult—

(a) local authorities or associations of local authorities,

(b) persons appearing to the appropriate authority to represent the interests of persons living in fuel poverty,

(c) the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority and the Gas and Electricity Consumer Council, and

(d) such other persons as the appropriate authority thinks fit.

(5) The appropriate authority shall take such steps as are in its opinion necessary to implement the strategy.

(6) The appropriate authority shall—

(a) from time to time assess the impact of steps taken under subsection (5) and the progress made in achieving the objectives and meeting the target dates,

(b) make any revision of the strategy which the authority considers appropriate in consequence of the assessment,

(c) from time to time publish reports on such assessments.

(7) If the appropriate authority revises the strategy, it shall publish the strategy as revised.

(8) In this section—

• “the appropriate authority” means—

  (a)

  as respects England, the Secretary of State, and

  (b)

  as respects Wales, the National Assembly for Wales;

• “the relevant commencement” means—

  (a)

  as respects England, the day on which this Act is passed, and

  (b)

  as respects Wales, the day on which this section comes into force as respects Wales.

(9) In relation to any time before the commencement of section 3(1) of the Utilities Act 2000, the reference in subsection (4)(c) to the [2000 c. 27.] Gas and Electricity Markets Authority and the Gas and Electricity Consumer Council shall have effect as a reference to the Director General of Gas Supply and the Director General of Electricity Supply.