‘Failings at every level’ led to botched insulation scheme
A failed net zero plan that caused damp problems in thousands of homes was the result of “serious failures at all levels”, a British government official has said.
Last month, the National Audit Office found 98% of 23,000 homes with external wall insulation installed under two separate projects would end up with damp and mold if left unaddressed.
The damning report also revealed that the health and safety of hundreds of homeowners were put at direct risk because insulation work was not carried out correctly.
Appearing before Parliament, Jeremy Pocklington, the Energy Security and Net Zero Department’s most senior civil servant, said the failures were “unacceptable”.
These plans often used external wall insulation, which involved fixing insulation boards to the external brickwork and then applying plaster to make it waterproof. Things can go wrong when water gets trapped behind the boards.
The damage also applies to around a third of homes with internal insulation under the ECO4 scheme and the Great Britain Insulation Scheme available to residents in England, Scotland and Wales.
More than three million homes have been insulated under various government programs in the last 20 years. Billions of liras of public money were spent on this.
Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee, Mr Pocklington began the evidence session by saying his thoughts were with the families and households affected.
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, said the NAO report’s findings were the “worst” he had seen in his 12 years chairing the committee and accused the department of negligence.
Mr Pocklington said ECO4 and the Great Britain Insulation Scheme were not adequately audited by Trustmark, the body responsible for checking the quality of insulation work.
But he added that the ministry “does not oversee these programs as it should.”
Independent MP Rupert Lowe said it amounted to a “systematic failure of the government department”.
Accepting that comment, Mr Pocklington said there were “serious failings that are systemic at every level of the system” and that the department had “failed to take adequate steps to ensure Trustmark was set up to deliver appropriately”.
Mr Pocklington revealed the department was under pressure after dealing with the impact of the Covid pandemic and the war in Ukraine on energy prices.
Labor MP Clive Betts asked Mr Pocklington whether the department would take responsibility for all homeowners who have been “abused” under the government’s energy efficiency schemes, not just those implemented since 2022.
Mr Pocklington said the focus was on two programs running from 2022.
Asked by Mr Betts whether the government would “get behind” affected homeowners, Mr Pocklington said the government’s responsibility was to “ensure that the schemes we have in place work effectively and that appropriate consumer protection systems are in place”.
