New figures reveal that Pembrokeshire will be the sixth worst hit county in Wales by the expected rise in energy bills in April, and the 17th hardest hit in the UK as whole.

The figures show that the average yearly bill for homeowners in Pembrokeshire is set to skyrocket by £708 the equivalent of £59 a month - once the new energy price cap comes into effect.

This is significantly above the forecasted national average uplift in bills for each household of £598 per year.

Last year the average homeowner in Pembrokeshire paid out £896 for their annual energy bill. Under the new price cap coming into force in April, that figure is set to rise to £1,604, an analysis by the Welsh Liberal Democrats revealed.

The party has called for a one-off Robin Hood tax on the super-profits of oil and gas giants which would fund the doubling and expansion of the Warm Home Discount to those in receipt of Universal Credit or Pension Credit, giving 13,731 households in Pembrokeshire £300 each off their heating bills this year.

The party has also called for the Winter Fuel Allowance to be doubled, helping 24,140 pensioners in the area keep their homes warm.

Welsh Liberal Democrat leader and Mid and West Wales Senedd Member Jane Dodds said: “These figures reveal that people in Pembrokeshire are facing eye-watering increases to their energy bills when many local residents are already deeply worried about their next heating bill landing on their doormats.

“It is hardly surprising that it is people in rural areas are the worst affected. It is yet more evidence that the Conservatives and Welsh Labour are taking our rural communities for granted.

“Families are facing an energy bill nightmare, meanwhile the Conservative Government in Westminster is asleep at the wheel failing to do anything to protect vulnerable people from this cost-of-living crisis.

“The Welsh Liberal Democrats have set out a clear plan to give thousands of people in our area £300 each off their heating bills this year. It’s time Boris Johnson and the Conservatives stopped taking our local communities for granted and offered families the support they need to cope with energy price hikes.

“Long-term we need to see the Labour-Plaid Cymru administration in the Senedd significantly ramp up its insulation programme, with support to improve household insulation targeted at those who need it most.

“The Welsh Government has missed all of its fuel poverty reduction targets since 2010, we simply cannot leave this issue unaddressed any longer.”