Burnley MP Oliver Ryan welcomes Government crackdown on 'cowboy' insulation installers

The Burnley Express has been campaigning with the SSB Law Victims Support Group and Burnley and Bradford East MPs to call on the Government to help victims facing financial ruin.

Many homeowners face huge costs, some surpassing £100,000, to remove failed insulation installed under Government schemes.

Energy Minister Miatta Fahnbulleh announced plans to ban 39 rogue businesses from installing new solid wall insulation [SWI] in homes under any government scheme until they have fixed the properties where measures have failed.

The Burnley, Padiham, and Brierfield MP said he welcomes the Government’s plan for “stronger regulation, clarity for consumers, and a clear process of complaints, which will make a genuine difference.”

Speaking in Parliament, MP Oliver Ryan said: “This has been a serious problem for victims in Burnley. I’m glad that [Minister Fahnbulleh] is looking at earlier schemes, too, because many people have fallen victim to cowboy builders and failed insulation over several years.”

Minister Fahnbulleh vowed that "the Government will do whatever it takes to protect consumers. We are determined to ensure families are never let down in this way again."

She added that installers must fund the repairs and that victims "should not be asked to pay a penny."

The minister blamed the scandal on "years of failure,” with problems ranging from missing paperwork to poor ventilation that can lead to damp and mould.

“The Government has inherited a fragmented and confusing system of protections for people wanting to insulate their homes. Too many organisations with different roles and responsibilities, not enough clarity for consumers about who to turn to if things go wrong, [and] problems that should have been picked up earlier have been missed.

“The system is in dire need of reform. So, while it is the installers that are responsible for poor-quality installations, they have been allowed to operate in a failed system, which has left some households exposed to bad practices.

“The system can no longer command confidence. That is why we are committed to overhauling it, driving up quality, and protecting consumers through the Warm Homes Plan."

The Government's Warm Homes Plan aims to cut bills for millions of households by upgrading their homes with energy efficiency measures like solar panels, heat pumps, double glazing, and insulation.

Remediation plans include on-site audits and additional monitoring and checks to ensure current and future SWI installations are adequate.

Trustmark and certification bodies will arrange inspections where issues arise, and installers must provide evidence of repairs. Any health and safety concerns, such as poorly fitted wires, should be resolved within 24 hours.

MPs also raised issues with cavity wall and loft insulation. While Minister Fahnbulleh confirmed that the enforcement action only applies to SWI, she added that the Government is exploring how best to resolve other "widespread" concerns.

MP Ryan also asked if the Government would ban directors of suspended companies from creating new firms.

He added: "Too often what we’ve seen is companies being established...and then they’ll go away, extinguish the company, and start again somewhere else.”

Minister Fahnbulleh said she is working with certification bodies to stop companies from dissolving and setting up anew to avoid repair work.

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