‘Serious and systemic’ problems found in insulated homes, minister says

Serious and systemic problems have been found in homes insulated under government schemes, according to the Minister for Energy Consumers.

An audit of homes that have had external wall insulation since 2022 found ”widespread cases of poor-quality installations that did not meet the required standard”, Miatta Fahnbulleh told Parliament.

She added that 39 businesses have now been suspended from the government schemes as a result of poor-quality work.

Some 65,000 households in the UK have had solid wall insulation installed under two government schemes – ECO4 and the Great British Insulation Scheme – since 2022.

All homes that have had external wall insulation fitted under the schemes would be contacted by the energy regulator Ofgem, the minister said, with repair work overseen by the regulator and the cost met by installers.

The audit, which was carried out by the independent organisation Trustmark found problems ranging from missing or incomplete paperwork to more serious problems such as exposed insulation and poor ventilation which, if not fixed, could lead to damp and mould. In some cases, serious health and safety concerns were raised such as wires not being fitted properly.

Last year the BBC highlighted the case of Tormuja Khatun, whose Luton home has been consumed by black mould, mushrooms and dry rot after the botched installation of external wall insulation. Her family told the BBC they had been warned it could cost more than £100,000 to repair and described the situation as a “nightmare”.

In total more than three million homes have been insulated under government schemes and the BBC reported last year that hundreds of thousands of them could have insulation that wasn’t installed to the required standard.

A growing number of MPs are worried about the impact on their constituents of poorly installed insulation, while Citizens Advice has called on the government to “urgently fix” regulation of the sector.

In a statement to the House of Commons, Fahnbulleh said: ”The government is moving fast to protect households. But I have to be honest with the House – these issues are the result of years of failure in a system that must be reformed.

“I know that this will be concerning for families who have had solid wall insulation fitted through these schemes. Getting this sorted out is our number one priority. We are determined to make sure families are never let down in this way again.”

But some MPs voiced their concerns that the government did not announce a review of other insulation schemes, such as those involving cavity wall insulation and spray foam insulation.

Fahnbulleh said audits of other forms of insulation had not shown the “systemic failure” found with solid wall installations.

The minister’s statement was welcomed by the Energy Saving Trust (EST), which has been calling for a national expert advice service in England to provide all households with impartial, tailored advice.

“It’s equally important that steps are now taken to strengthen consumer protection and support going forward, to ensure households have confidence when upgrading their homes,” said Stew Horne, head of policy at the EST.