Green scheme left my home riddled with damp and plaster falling from the walls ... for years
MP INTERVENES ON PENSIONER’S BEHALF, BUT GOVERNING BODY BLAMES HIM AND CLOSES CASE
A PENSIONER claims his home has been left damp, with plaster crumbling from walls, years after insulation was fitted.
Alwyn Williams, 79, and his wife Delyth, had cavity wall insulation (CWI) fitted at their home in Penisarwaun near Llanrug in 2005 and say they have been battling to put things right ever since.
He claimed the green energy scheme led to issues of damp within his property, with work to remove some of the insulation leaving “pockmarks”.
But the Cavity Insulation Guarantee Agency [CIGA] has stated its belief that the issues stem from “poorly sealed windows and general building maintenance” and say they have consistently gone above and beyond to assist.
Standing in front of his home, Mr Williams, a retired quarry manager, said: “We had cavity wall insulation installed in 2004 and we’ve had problems with it ever since, really.
“We’ve asked Hywel Williams MP to get involved on our behalf and he’s been asking questions in Westminster to different energy ministers for years and years and we still can’t get an answer.
“This situation has been going on now for 13 years and there’s nothing happening and no one will give us an answer on how to solve the problem.”
The rendering on the walls of the house is pockmarked where holes have been drilled to remove the foam-like insulating material.
Mr Williams added: “The plaster is falling from the outside wall due to the ingress of water.
“There are big damp patches inside the house as well.
“We’ve had the insulation removed from the south-facing wall but we’re still having problems. In fact the problem seems to be worse now than when it first started in 2005.”
He added: “We’ve been trying to claim off CIGA, who are the guarantee agency, and they don’t want to know.
“They seem to make excuses and are trying to pass the blame on to us for everything.
“One of their surveyors came here and told us to move the furniture around so air could circulate inside the house.
“Another one came here and told us to remove the curtains and install blinds so air could circulate.
“The last excuse was that there was debris inside the wall cavity, but that is not true.”
Arfon MP Hywel Williams, who has intervened on the couple’s behalf, warned homeowners living with unresolved cavity wall insulation issues face a “very challenging situation” once the energy price hike comes in in April.
The MP said faulty cavity wall insulation has caused thousands of properties to suffer from dampness, corrosion and mold, costing homeowners thousands of pounds to put right.
Mass cavity wall installations were carried out across the country after successive governmentbacked schemes obliged big energy companies to cut carbon emissions from homes.
Hywel Williams has called on the UK government to compensate homeowners and focus on effective retrofitting measures.
He wants a commitment from government they will ensure effective oversight of all future energy schemes to avoid cowboy contractors and industry guarantee schemes with no clout.
Hywel Williams said: “The cavity wall insulation scheme was a free scheme, backed by the government and sold to unsuspecting homeowners as an energysaving initiative which would save people £250 a year or so in their heating costs.
“Those targeted were mainly older people, those with disabilities and those on low incomes.
“Several years on from when I first brought this issue to the attention of the UK government, some of my constituents are still living with the consequences of this botched scheme; damp homes, mold, flaking render and condensation.
“They have exhausted all avenues of redress, with little or no recognition from government of the seriousness of the issue, whilst battling a toothless industry guarantee scheme.
“Meanwhile, their energy costs are set to rocket further.”
A CIGA spokeswoman said they were content this specific case had been managed effectively and officials had “gone beyond the guarantee requirement” to address issues.
She added: “CIGA have carried out a number of inspections and have consistently concluded the problems at Mr Williams property are as a result of poorly sealed windows and general building maintenance, which has allowed water to ingress into the cavity wall and not as a result of a failure in materials or workmanship associated with CWI.
“Following on from numerous attempts to intervene on Mr Williams’ behalf by Citizens Advice and Hywel Williams MP as a gesture of goodwill, and in an attempt to avoid any further, more extensive, internal dampness and decor damage resulting from the poor building maintenance and poor window seals, CIGA agreed to carry out an extraction from a single elevation, works which CIGA had no obligation to carry out.
“Mr Williams refused this offer originally and following further correspondence was provided with paperwork for Independent Arbitration provided by the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution on CIGAs behalf.
“After the arbitration window had passed and Mr Williams no longer had this redress, he asked for reinstatement of our original offer, which was agreed to and work was awarded to a contractor.
“Following the completion of works Mr Williams wrote via his MP stating he was not happy and, following further inspections to the works carried out, we concluded there remained a small amount of residual CWI and the finishing to extraction holes was not to our usual standard.
“As such, further works to extract residual CWI in front elevation and make good the extraction holes were carried out.
“We have since concluded our works and have closed off Mr Williams case.”