WIDER CONCERNS RAISED ABOUT LLANSAMLET ENERGY SERVICES COMPANY CLOSURE

Sioned Williams MS raises plight of constituents left with “shoddy” work by CES contractors

Sioned Williams MS, Plaid Cymru Member of Senedd for South Wales West has raised concerns about the wider implications of Consumer Energy Services (CES) ceasing trading.

On Friday 9 January, it was announced that nearly 300 jobs would be lost at CES, including at their centre in Llansamlet, Swansea, citing the scrapping of the UK Government’s ECO4 funding scheme.

Through this scheme, eligible households could apply for grants to help with home improvements to improve energy efficiency.

After sharing the news on her social media, Ms Williams has been contacted by constituents expressing concerns about the quality of work undertaken by contractors carrying out work on behalf of CES.

According to a BBC report, a spokesperson for CES said: “We will be unable to carry out any remedial works or repairs, or to progress or resolve any existing complaints.”

Ms Williams has raised concerns about recourse for those left with unfinished or poor quality work, many of whom are likely to be elderly or vulnerable.

Sioned Williams MS, Plaid Cymru Member of Senedd for South Wales West, said:

“The recent news that Consumer Energy Services has ceased trading has sent shockwaves around the region I represent: initially in terms of the job losses at Llansamlet and the impact on the vital work to reduce fuel poverty in Wales, but now it’s becoming apparent that many have been left suffering from shoddy work at the hands of contractors operating on behalf of CES, with little clue as to how this will be resolved.

“There are also serious questions to be raised about whether this Labour UK Government is really acting in the best interests of Wales. Wales has some of the oldest, coldest and leakiest housing stock in Europe, and it’s concerning that this funding stream, which was greater than the Welsh Government’s own Warm Homes Scheme, has been scrapped with no replacement to date. There are also serious questions around the way this scheme was overseen and my Plaid Cymru colleague Liz Saville Roberts MP has rightly raised concerns over reports that CES recorded pre-tax profits of £35.3 million on a turnover of £81.1 million in 2024, even as many customers were struggling with shoddy workmanship and unresolved faults. 

“Meanwhile there are people in Wales, like my constituents, who are left with homes in a worse state than before they applied for an ECO4 grant, with serious concerns as to lack of recourse. And remember that some of these are our most vulnerable citizens, already in fuel poverty. 

“While the ECO4 scheme is not within the remit of the Labour Welsh Government, their work to reduce fuel poverty is most certainly impacted by the removal of this scheme by their Labour colleagues in London. However, when I asked the Welsh Government about this following the announcement in the UK Budget, they were unable to confirm whether an impact assessment had even been carried out. It is imperative that Welsh Government now review the effectiveness of their own Warm Homes programme, because the real fear is that this matter is a serious blow to ensuring warmer and more efficient homes in Wales, right in the middle of a very cold winter.”