The Energy Company Obligation 4 (ECO4) and Great British Insulation Scheme - used by landlords to insulate homes - have been hauled up for fitting substandard solid wall insulation.
TrustMark, which oversees those providing work under the schemes, discovered problems during routine checks caused since 2022 including missing or incomplete paperwork, insufficient ventilation, and missing or exposed insulation, which if left unchecked could lead to damp and mould. Thirty-nine businesses have been suspended from installing new insulation in people’s homes.
The Government has launched a plan to begin an immediate repair process, under which installers must fund any repair work themselves. No household should be asked to pay any money by an installer.
Letters from energy regulator Ofgem will be sent to the address of the property where the work was done, and landlords have been advised to tell tenants to keep a lookout for any relevant post.
Official statistics show that more than 65,000 external wall insulation and internal wall insulation measures had been fitted under the Energy Company Obligation 4 scheme and Great British Insulation Scheme by the end of November 2024.
The government says it is confident that these systemic issues are particular to solid wall insulation installed under these schemes, both of which target homes with a low EPC rating and occupants either on a low income or in a particular council tax band. This is because there is a stronger system of checks and balances in place for other energy efficiency schemes delivered through local authorities and social housing providers.
Minister for Energy Consumers Miatta Fahnbulleh (pictured) adds: “While installers are responsible for poor-quality installations, they have been permitted to operate in a broken-up system of regulation which has left some households exposed to bad practices, along with little idea of where to turn to if things go wrong.”
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