Insulation fitted through energy scheme 'will have to be replaced'

Almost all external insulation fitted under the previous government's energy efficiency scheme was installed so poorly it will have to be repaired or replaced, an investigation has found.

- Damien Gayle Environment correspondent

Thousands of homeowners who took advantage of the schemes have been left with incompetently fitted cladding that in some cases was likely to cause damp and mould, the National Audit Office (NAO) said.

Of the roughly 23,000 homes fitted with external wall insulation under the energy company obligation (Eco) and the great British insulation scheme (GBIS), 98% need repairs, the NAO found. A further 9,000 to 13,000 homes fitted with internal insulation also had major problems - 29% of those that had these works carried out, it added.

More than 3,000 installations of both kinds could pose health and safety risks needing immediate remediation.