The Government scheme to reduce energy consumption by insulating a home was hugged on a huge scale, determined by the costs of a watchman, leaving tens of thousands of houses in need of corrective work.
According to the National Audit Service (NAO), 98% of homes where external wall insulation have had, have problems that will cause moist and mold if they are not avoided.
Almost one third, or 29%of homes for which internal insulation were provided, must also be repaired.
Energy consumer Minister Martin McCluskey said the government was taking action and that the home would be recorded for “free consumer”.
Mohammed Mahedi, who had external wall insulation, adapted to his Luton home two years ago, lives with consequences.
” Some in the morning I wake up to breathe really, really very strong. I feel it in my neck. I feel it in my lungs, ”he says.
The BBC first announced the impact of defective insulation on Luton last year.
Mohammed is still fighting to solve the problem.
“We did a scheme that was to be meant to help us, but it worsened everything.”
Deceived insulation work left other homes in Luton not resident due to dry rot fungus [Lukman Ashraf]
2022 The previous Government has instructed energy companies to spend billions of pounds collected for energy bills, insulation home throughout the UK for people receiving benefits, and those who are very poorly insulated at home.
However, the NAO found that in the design of the Energy Company Liabilities (ECO), there were “clear failures” that caused “” poor quality equipment and suspected fraud. “
Nao’s leader Gareth Davies said he now has an energy security and even Zero (DNZ) department to ensure that the companies responsible for “all affected homes as soon as possible”.
“It also has to rearrange the system to prevent it from recurring,” he said.
Nao, who observes the release of public money, quotes “under -qualified labor”, businesses that reduce corners and uncertainty about what standards can be applied to what works, how several causes of non -standard work.
It found that between 22,000 and 23,000 houses, which were provided with external wall insulation, and up to 13,000 properties with internal wall insulation, now required repairs.
The low percentage of devices – 6% external and 2% internal insulation – caused “direct health and safety risk” due to failures such as live electric cables or blocked boiler ventilation, he said.
The NaO report focused on two specific schemes: Eco4 and British insulation scheme.
However, this also directed the criticism of the Trustmark, a consumer protection scheme established in 2021 to monitor the quality of the insulation programs. He said he was “weak” care and insufficient scheme audit.
The NAO said he allowed the installers to “play” the system. Last year, of the total industrial regulatory authority, ofgem estimated that business has falsified claims for eco -equipment up to 16,500 houses, which can claim from $ 56 million. Up to $ 165 million
Trustmark said she accepted that more needed to be done and said it remained “fully committed to ensuring strong consumer protection and self -confidence.”
He said the organization had taken “strong, honest and determined actions” when he first noticed problems with work in 2024. And “retained industrial groups and government fully informed at each stage.”
Minister of Energy McClluskey said the NaO report revealed “unacceptable, systemic failures” left by the previous government.
He said that “detailed reform” and “clear accountability line” would take place in the future.