23,000 Homes Had Insulation Installed Under Tory Energy Efficiency Scheme; 98% Of Them Will Need Repair Or Replacement
Almost all the external insulation fitted under the previous government’s energy efficiency scheme was installed so poorly it will have to be repaired or replaced, an investigation has found. Thousands of homeowners who took advantage of the home insulation schemes have been left with incompetently fitted cladding that in some cases is likely to cause damp and mould.
Of the roughly 23,000 homes fitted with external wall insulation under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) and Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS), 98% need repairs, according to a National Audit Office (NAO) investigation. A further 9,000 to 13,000 homes fitted with internal insulation also have major problems – 29% of those who had these works carried out, the NAO said. And more than 3,000 installations of both kinds are likely to pose health and safety risks that need immediate remediation.
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The ECO and GBIS initiatives sought to tackle fuel poverty and reduce carbon emissions across Britain by requiring energy companies to fund the installation of energy efficiency measures in homes. But, the NAO said, weak government oversight and inadequate audit and monitoring led to thousands of poor-quality installations, leaving homes at risk from damp, mould, blocked ventilation shafts and exposed electrical cabling.
As a result of poorly executed works, homeowners were left unable to remortgage or sell homes, with insulation so badly fitted it could make cold, damp conditions worse. In January, almost 40 companies were blocked from installing insulation as part of the schemes as the outcry grew over the substandard works. “People’s homes and lives have been damaged by these faulty installations, many living in fuel poverty, and lots have faced very difficult times as a result,” said Jess Ralston, an energy analyst at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit.
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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/oct/14/external-insulation-previous-government-scheme-repair-replacing-report-finds
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