We helped William address financial pressures that were causing him stress, and supported him in dealing with faulty insulation.
How we helped
Having accountability in the retrofit sector and ongoing support for residents is as important as ever.
Poorly installed insulation can have a significant effect on a household’s health, both physically and mentally. As the cost of living continues to rise, homes with inadequate or faulty insulation can find themselves being pushed into fuel debt.
William’s Situation
Due to a series of health issues, William* in West Newcastle upon Tyne found themselves out of work. The high cost of living meant that he couldn’t afford his home’s energy bills, resulting in over £6,000 of debt with his energy provider.
On top of the stress of debt, he was also facing issues caused by poorly installed insulation measures made under the Green Homes Scheme (ECO) in 2021. Mold between his home’s internal wall insulation and ceilings, a damp smell coming from his underfloor insulation, and a series of faulty ventilation measures that created considerable drafts. William got in touch with us to se how we could help.
This has been a very complicated and important case, as there are children in the property who are at risk due to the build up from the mold caused by the incorrectly installed insulation under a previous ECO scheme.
North East Warm Homes advisor
How we helped
During our first home-visit, we referred William over to the Money Matters service at the local council. The service has since helped him control the financial pressures that he and his family are under and reduce his debt. William was very happy with the service he received and felt much less stressed about debt.
We also referred William for the Warm Homes Local Grant. In the hopes that he could benefit from government funded retrofit measures to improve his property’s energy efficiency. As it was likely that the previous faulty measures would need to be removed/ resolved before he would be able to access this grant scheme. Our advisor helped William get in touch with Trustmark, Quality Mark, PAS complaints, and the original installers. At first, no clear path towards resolving this issue was offered by the companies. This left a significant barrier to accessing further grants under the Warm Homes Local Grant.
Warmworks carried out an EPC assessment, but the home’s C rating it meant it was not eligible for the Warm Homes Local Grant. William was advised that the EPC may change if the faulty insulation was removed following the complaints resolution. The PAS complaint was escalated, and the insurance company of the installer was also contacted in hope to access the internal wall insulation guarantee as the installer themselves had gone into liquidation.
The PAS Complaints Team also contacted our advisor and offered another path that could be taken to get compensation from the company’s insurer.
We supported William to fill out and submit the insurance claim form. The insurance company then sent out a surveyor to inspect the work. The results of the inspection confirmed that the work carried out had been poor. As a result, William is now in the process of getting remedial work arranged. Once the remedial works have been completed, the EPC will be re-assessed. Opening up the possibility of Warm Homes Local Grant funding in the future.
William has expressed gratitude to the advisors for their continued support. Noting that the referral to debt support services has reduced some stress in their lives and helped them take control of their finances.
Is your household’s health affected by poorly installed retrofit?
Our advisors are available to talk from 9am to 5pm – Monday to Friday on freephone 0808 175 9345, or you can request a call or email from one of our advisors.
*Customer name has been changed for anonymity
