Ministers Admit More Than 30,000 UK Homes Were Fitted With Botched Insulation

More than 30,000 homes in the United Kingdom have been fitted with substandard insulation under government-backed retrofit schemes, ministers told Parliament, a failure Energy Consumer Minister Miatta Fahnbulleh described as "systemic failure." The figure is the first official tally provided by the government for homes blighted by poor workmanship under the ECO4 and Great British Insulation Scheme since 2022.

Ministers said some households have already received remedial work but urged anyone concerned about installations to contact the energy regulator Ofgem. The problems reported by residents include damp, mould and damage that has left parts of homes uninhabitable or with reduced thermal performance, increasing health risks and undermining the schemes' aims to cut emissions and reduce energy bills.

One affected resident, who asked to be identified only as Mohammed, told the BBC his bedroom in Luton is covered in damp and mould after external wall insulation was fitted in 2023 under ECO4. He said he had applied for the work to make the house warmer and to help his late father, who suffered from chronic asthma, but now cannot sleep in the room and is struggling to get the issue fixed, describing a run of "broken promises and false hope."

Parliamentary disclosure of the 30,000-plus figure follows reporting and complaints from households across the country about the quality of work carried out under the government's retrofit programmes. The ECO4 (Energy Company Obligation) and the Great British Insulation Scheme were introduced to improve home energy efficiency, reduce household energy consumption and support the UK's wider net-zero commitments. Problems with installations have raised concerns about the schemes' delivery and oversight.

Government officials told MPs that while remedial action has been taken in some cases, the scale of poor workmanship represents a systemic lapse in quality assurance. They urged affected households to report issues through official channels so regulators and contractors can investigate and, where necessary, carry out repairs.

Ofgem, which oversees consumer protection in the energy sector, was named by ministers as the body to contact for concerns about installations and contractor performance. The regulator's role includes investigating complaints and ensuring that companies meet standards set out under the schemes.

Campaigners and some affected residents have said the health impacts of damp and mould can be severe, particularly for people with respiratory conditions. The government-designed retrofit programmes aimed to deliver both climate and public health benefits by improving insulation and reducing cold-related illnesses; the disclosed failings have prompted calls for stronger enforcement, clearer remediation pathways for households and improved contractor vetting.

Ministers did not provide a breakdown of the types of defects or the number of households still awaiting fixes in the statement to Parliament. The figure released marks the first official accounting of the problem since 2022, underscoring the scale of challenges faced by the rollout of energy efficiency measures.

Householders who believe they have been affected by poor-quality insulation or related installation problems were advised to contact Ofgem and to document the work and any communications with contractors to assist investigations. The government and regulators face pressure to set out how further occurrences will be prevented and how remaining cases will be resolved while preserving the schemes' objectives of cutting emissions and lowering energy costs for vulnerable households.