NAO report into the government’s ECO scheme: Rob Harris speaks to AJ
Thousands of homes need repairs after insultation fitted under government scheme found to be faulty by NAO report
A report by the National Audit Office (NAO) has found "clear failures" in the Government’s Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme, with widespread implications for homeowners.
ECO is a government scheme intended to tackle fuel poverty and reduce carbon emissions in Great Britain. It obligates energy suppliers to fund the installation in homes of energy efficiency measures such as insulation.
The report by the NAO found 98 per cent of external wall insulation fitted under the scheme will need to be fixed due to poor quality and potentially unsafe installation.
In response, Rob Harris, director in our building services engineering and sustainability team, spoke to AJ about the impact of the scheme and what must happen next, which you can read in full here.
Rob shares his insights on the issues surrounding the materials used, and the need for more careful selection, validation and approval to allow for higher quality fire resistance and breathability.
He goes on to discuss the need for better retrofit approaches by standardising the rollout of solutions across the scheme.
He then shares the need for better training and certification for installers and sub-contractors, and for client feedback to ensure transparency.
While the ECO scheme’s aim to tackle fuel poverty is commendable, the scheme has been constrained due to an unfortunate litany of errors in practice. Added to the poor installation and quality control cited in the report, there appears to have been issues surrounding the use of materials. Materials must be more carefully selected, validated and approved.
Rob Harris
Director in our building services engineering and sustainability team
