The government has suspended 39 businesses from installing new insulation in people’s homes, after ministers were alerted to reports of poor-quality work.

Routine checks were carried out by TrustMark, the independent body which oversees tradespeople working in homes.
TrustMark uncovered examples of substandard solid wall insulation fitted since 2022 under the Energy Company Obligation 4 and Great British Insulation Scheme – both inherited by the government.
When the issues were identified, the government took action to suspend the installers, expand checks of solid wall insulation measures installed under both schemes, and implement a plan for the repair process.
The government said it has instructed the energy regulator, Ofgem, to take oversight of this work to ensure it is swiftly delivered.
The government has also demanded that installers fund any repair work themselves, under protections in the schemes.
Ofgem has begun writing to all the households affected, and in some cases, an on-site visit will follow to determine whether any insulation work carried out requires a repair.
Examples of substandard installation range from missing or incomplete paperwork, insufficient ventilation, or missing or exposed insulation, which if left unchecked could lead to damp and mould.
Installers responsible for the poor-quality work will be forced to fix this at no cost to households.
They will also remain banned from installing new solid wall insulation on any government scheme if they do not fulfil their obligation to put any issues right.
Minister for energy consumers Miatta Fahnbulleh said: “I know this news will be concerning for people who have had external or internal wall insulation fitted through either scheme we have inherited.
“That is why we are taking action to put this right, forcing installers to fix any poor-quality installations as soon as possible and at their own expense.
“It is clear the existing system of protections for consumers we inherited is in dire need of reform.”
The government said that while installers are responsible for poor-quality installations, they have been allowed to operate in a “broken-up system of regulation which has left some households exposed to bad practices.”
Ministers are now committed to enacting a sweeping overhaul through the £3.4 billion Warm Homes Plan, which will involve changing regulation, from how installers working in people’s homes are certified and monitored, to where homeowners turn to for rapid action and enforcement if things go wrong.
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