Our response to National Audit Office’s report on energy efficiency installations under the Energy Company Obligation

The National Audit Office, has released a report looking at recent failures with solid wall insulation installations under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO).

It’s deeply concerning that a significant number of people across Great Britain have been let down by schemes designed to address fuel poverty.  

The UK Government must take learnings from this report as it prepares to publish its Warm Homes Plan. Making sure people can be confident that insulation will be properly installed is critical to permanently lower energy bills and reduce our reliance on fossil fuel markets.  

To make this work and avoid the problems highlighted by the National Audit Office it’s crucial that the UK Government uses the Warm Homes Plan to improve consumer protection. This should make the process as simple as possible for households across Great Britain who install energy efficiency measures or low carbon technologies.  

We’re also calling for the UK Government to set up a national retrofit advice service in England to direct households to further support or redress if something goes wrong, so that it can be quickly put right.  

The Warm Homes Plan is a pivotal opportunity to put right past issues and roll out a refreshed joined-up strategy that instils trust and confidence in households to upgrade their homes. This is key so that everyone can benefit from lower energy bills and warmer homes – it’s an opportunity that must not be wasted.