A social enterprise funded by the National Lottery is working hard to help people facing fuel poverty in the Vale of Ffestiniog.

Y Dref Werdd’s projects include ways to save energy and money in the home, and with a fuel price hike on the way in April, they expect to help more people than ever before.

Meilyr Tomos from Y Dref Werdd is urging people in South Gwynedd to reach out if they find themselves unable to pay their energy bills.

“Our core message is don’t despair and engage with us or someone like the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB),” he said. “We implore people who are in a serious predicament to come and see us and we will be able to help you. There are a number of things that can be done, and we can refer people to various funds and schemes.”

He added: “When the price hike comes in April I think we all need to sit down and see what we can do.

“One of those things is getting an able-bodied member of the family to do a DIY loft insulation top-up.

“Also, identify any drafts in the house and stop those. Above all, don’t be frightened of heating the house. Not heating it is very dangerous, especially for the older generation.”

For people who are off the mains gas network, help is available through the Welsh Government’s Discretionary Assistance Fund.

“We can refer people to that and so can the CAB,” said Meilyr. “Some people don’t realise that NEST, the Welsh Government’s boiler scrappage scheme, has health eligibility criteria so people with circulatory and respiratory illnesses can be considered for this.”

With so much fuel being generated locally, Meilyr is frustrated by the April price hike.

“There’s enough embedded hydro in South Gwynedd to produce our own energy, and if we had control of it we wouldn’t have this problem.

“We need de-regulation of the market to use the energy we are producing right here, so we’re not constantly at the whim of global pressures.

“We shouldn’t accept this. We already produce what we need here in South Gwynedd. It is ironic that we are one of the worst areas for fuel poverty.”

People in South Gwynedd can email [email protected]u for more information.