People living in two wards in Pembrokeshire are most at risk of fuel poverty according to analysis by a national Welsh newspaper.

The wards most at risk of fuel poverty were Crymych and Monkton, Pembroke wards. Fuel poverty is defined as where a household has to spend 10 per cent or more of its income on energy bills.

New figures for the London Assembly rated the fuel poverty risk of all wards in the English capital based on indicators for health, benefits claims, child poverty and numbers of older people. When data for Wales is analysed in a comparable manner, Welsh wards make up 45 of the 50 most at-risk areas.

Mid and West AM Simon Thomas said: "It is hard to compare levels of fuel poverty in Wales with those in London because of the many differences between the two areas. For instance, Wales has a high number of rural homes that are not connected to the gas supply. In Carmarthenshire, Menter Cwm Gwendraeth has introduced a fuel club so people not connected can buy oil together for a cheaper price.

"The Party of Wales is urging the Welsh Government to use all the powers at its disposal to tackle fuel poverty and minimise winter deaths.

"As part of the Welsh Government, we introduced the ARBED scheme and a new fuel poverty strategy. We invested £30m in our last year of government through the Strategic Capital Investment Fund that focused on deprived areas of Wales. The scheme helps to improve the energy efficiency of existing homes and retro-fit micro generation measures. Around 6,000 homes have benefited from the scheme.

"Housing associations help to deliver this and suppliers will enable businesses based in Wales to take advantage of the opportunities it provides. The scheme involves working with training providers to ensure that the skills that are needed to carry out this work are in place and that local people can benefit from the investments."

Mr. Thomas added: "We need to make keeping warm affordable. The Westminster government must ensure improvements in the availability of tariffs. The cheapest tariffs are available to those with internet access and a bank account that can take direct debits.

"Cheap fuel alone cannot fulfil the need for security of supply and long-term energy. It cannot solve fuel poverty, which relates to energy efficiency and providing the best resources. The Party of Wales wants better energy security through investment in renewable energy and in developing the green skills of the Welsh construction sector, as has been highlighted in the 'Skills for Eco-Refurbishment' paper."

The AM has raised the issue of fuel poverty in the Senedd, including what steps the Welsh Government is taking to ensure the best deal from the Green Deal. The Green Deal means that £7 billion a year will be spent throughout Britain to keep houses warm and to tackle fuel poverty.