Thousands of Homes Affected by Damp and Mould, Government Says Insulation Programme is a Systemic Failure

In a series of revelations, it has been exposed that over 30,000 homes across the UK, predominantly in lower-income regions such as Luton and County Durham, received poor-quality insulation under the ECO4 and GBIS schemes. This failure has fueled concerns that flaws in Britain's retrofit schemes may be part of a recurring pattern, with the Green Homes Grant and the Renewable Heat Incentive among the earlier retrofit schemes that fell short of expectations.

The issues are primarily linked to solid wall insulation under the schemes, with reports of problems including black mould, peeling plaster, and unsafe living conditions being frequent in these areas. One homeowner in Luton described experiencing extensive damp and mould, making it difficult to sleep.

Ministers have acknowledged the "systemic failure" in the insulation process, and the government has suspended 39 companies from conducting new work under government insulation schemes. Ongoing oversight is being implemented through more rigorous audits by Ofgem and TrustMark, with obligations that installers remediate defects.

In an effort to rectify the situation, the Warm Homes Plan is being overhauled. New standards include higher qualification requirements for installers, single-certification-per-measure, and the establishment of a Retrofit System Reform Advisory Panel. The government has also promised transparency and better guidance for consumers.

In early remediation efforts, 90% of identified poor-quality installations have been corrected at no cost to consumers. The UK government has also implemented stricter building regulations, enhanced quality control and inspection processes, increased funding for remediation of affected homes, and established clearer accountability measures for contractors to improve future insulation program quality and resilience following the ECO4/GBIS scandal.

The Energy Security and Net Zero Committee has criticised the stop-start nature of retrofit programs, and the Public Accounts Committee labelled the Green Homes Grant a "slam-dunk fail." However, it is important to note that the problems with insulation are not isolated mistakes but may be indicative of a systemic issue.

The scale of the failure has affected households across various regions, suggesting it's not confined to one demographic or geography. The government, in its response, has vowed to learn from these mistakes and work towards creating a more efficient and reliable insulation program for all UK households.

Thousands of Homes Affected by Damp and Mould, Government Says Insulation Programme is a Systemic Failure