Government crackdown on rogue insulation installers must include CWI, says the SSB Law Victims Support Group

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 residents facing financial ruin.

Many homeowners face huge costs, some surpassing £100,000, to remove defective insulation installed under government-backed Energy Company Obligation and Great British Insulation Schemes.

The energy department will ban 39 “cowboy” 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 SSB Law Victims Support Group welcomes the move but calls for government audits to include installations of botched cavity wall insulation (CWI).

A spokesperson for the group said: “Yesterday’s announcement from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, while a step forward in addressing issues with insulation quality, falls short of addressing the real crisis affecting millions of homeowners across the UK. The focus on solid wall insulation, which has only been installed in approximately 65,000 homes since 2022, overlooks the much larger and longer-standing issue of defective cavity wall insulation.

“Since the early 2010s, some 14–15 million homes have had CWI installed under various government-backed schemes. For over a decade, victims of failed installations have reported widespread damp, structural damage, and devastating health impacts – issues that remain unresolved. Many of these homes were never audited post-installation, leaving affected homeowners without recourse or support.

“Why is SWI taking priority?

“The scale of CWI installations far exceeds that of SWI, both in numbers and the duration of its impact. Victims of CWI have been living with the consequences for years, often with no avenue for redress as many of the responsible companies no longer exist. This neglect undermines the Government’s commitment to consumer protection and energy efficiency.”

The Government's Warm Homes Plan will see on-site audits of homes with SWI, and additional monitoring and checks to ensure future installations are satisfactory.

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

The victims group said it supports the extra consumer protections but believes the lack of widespread audit of CWI homes has left “millions of affected households in limbo.

“CWI victims must be prioritised. Given the sheer volume of installations and the long-term harm caused, it is clear that CWI victims should be the Government’s immediate focus.

“Acknowledgment of government responsibility is overdue. Many of these installations were carried out under government-endorsed schemes, and the lack of follow-up inspections has compounded the issue.

“While reforms under the Warm Homes Plan are welcome, they will not undo the damage already done. The Government must act now to repair the trust and lives of those affected by CWI failures, ensuring that no one is left behind in the push for energy efficiency.

“We call on the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to urgently implement a comprehensive audit of CWI installations and provide a clear pathway for affected homeowners to receive the repairs and compensation they deserve. The time for action is long overdue.”

Please sign our petition supporting victims here.