Following a Statement by the Minister for Climate Change, Julie James on: Improving the Energy Efficiency of Welsh Homes, Mr Rowlands, Shadow Minister for Local Government said:
As we know, Wales does have an older and less energy-efficient housing stock compared to other parts of the UK. An idea has been mooted in the past, and also mentioned to the Minister for Finance and Local Government, where an element of council tax could be aligned to the energy efficiency of homes, similar to the way in which cars are taxed around their emissions. This could help incentivise people, alongside grants, to make their houses more energy efficient.
I am conscious of the Government's commitment to reforming council tax in Wales in the co-operation agreement with Plaid Cymru. In light of this, Minister, what are your thoughts on the possibility of an element of council tax being based on the energy efficiency of someone's home? And will you carry out further work on this idea with the Minister for local government?
The Minister said:
I think we absolutely do need to look at an incentive programme for people.
We will need to look at it and, Finance and Local Government Minister, Rebecca Evans and I have already started some preliminary conversations about how this might work—an incentive programme for owner-occupiers.
Mae Sam Rowlands AS yn dweud bod rhaid edrych ar bob opsiwn a chyfle i annog pobl i wneud eu cartrefi'n fwy effeithlon o ran ynni
Yn dilyn Datganiad gan y Gweinidog Newid Hinsawdd, Julie James ar: Gwella Effeithlonrwydd Ynni Cartrefi Cymru, dywedodd Mr Rowlands, Gweinidog Llywodraeth Leol yr Wrthblaid:
Fel y gwyddom, mae gan Gymru stoc dai hŷn a llai effeithlon o ran ynni o gymharu â rhannau eraill o'r DU. Mae syniad wedi'i grybwyll yn y gorffennol, ac wedi'i gyflwyno hefyd i'r Gweinidog Cyllid a Llywodraeth Leol, lle gallai elfen o'r dreth gyngor gael ei chysylltu ag effeithlonrwydd ynni cartrefi, yn debyg i'r ffordd mae ceir yn cael eu trethu yn seiliedig ar eu hallyriadau. Gallai hyn helpu i gymell pobl, ochr yn ochr â grantiau, i wneud eu tai yn fwy effeithlon o ran ynni.
Rwy'n ymwybodol o ymrwymiad y Llywodraeth i ddiwygio'r dreth gyngor yng Nghymru yn y cytundeb cydweithio â Phlaid Cymru. Yn sgil hyn, Weinidog, beth yw eich barn ar y posibilrwydd o elfen o'r dreth gyngor yn cael ei seilio ar effeithlonrwydd ynni cartref rhywun? Ac a fyddwch chi'n gwneud gwaith pellach ar y syniad hwn gyda'r Gweinidog Llywodraeth Leol?
Dywedodd y Gweinidog:
Rwy'n credu bod angen i ni edrych ar y posibilrwydd o gyflwyno rhaglen cymhelliant i bobl. Bydd angen i ni edrych arno ac mae'r Gweinidog Cyllid a Llywodraeth Leol, Rebecca Evans, a minnau eisoes wedi cael rhai sgyrsiau rhagarweiniol ynghylch sut y gallai hyn weithio—rhaglen cymhelliant i berchen-feddianwyr.
