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A number of homeowners are facing significant difficulties following incomplete and poorly executed energy efficiency improvements by Consumer Energy Solutions (CES), a green energy firm that recently went into administration. Among those affected is Jane Wallbank, a mother from Penrhiwceibr, Rhondda Cynon Taf, who experienced flooding in her home due to insulation work carried out by CES. Jane describes her experience as the worst decision she ever made, explaining how the project caused extensive damage and left her home uninhabitable for weeks.
CES participated in the UK government’s ECO4 scheme, which provides funding to assist low-income and vulnerable households with improvements like insulation and heat pumps. However, following CES’s collapse last week, many customers report botched work and incomplete installations that have severely impacted their living conditions. Administrator KR8 Advisory Limited has advised customers to seek guidance from insurance-backed guarantee providers as they contend with these issues.
Jane, who works full time supporting additional learning needs and receives Universal Credit, qualified for ECO4 assistance. She recounts how the installation process forced her family to endure cold conditions for three weeks after tradesmen removed radiators to fit insulation. She returned from work one day to discover her home flooded across three rooms, resulting in damaged possessions and the need to remove all flooring due to water damage. The disruption has taken a heavy emotional and financial toll, with soaring energy bills as she uses heaters and dehumidifiers to make her house livable again.
Other customers, like John Tustin from Carmarthenshire, have also been left with unfinished or faulty work. John’s solar panels remain disconnected, and a costly heat pump was left half-installed when the contractors abruptly stopped work in December. This has created challenges for his wife, who suffers from motor neurone disease, particularly as scaffolding now blocks easy access to their home. John expressed frustration over the lack of communication since CES ceased operations, questioning who is responsible for resolving these outstanding problems.
Similarly, Llelo Gruffudd, a farmer from Pwllheli in Gwynedd, highlights long-standing issues from his solar panel installation in 2023, describing the job as mishandled from start to finish. Contractors left holes in his roof and house walls, resulting in water leaks and rodents entering the property. Despite receiving some compensation from CES, ongoing problems remain unresolved, with no recourse now that the company has folded.
The scale of the problem is significant given CES’s considerable turnover—over £80 million reportedly generated from ECO4-funded work according to 2024 accounts—serving customers across the UK. A recent National Audit Office report revealed widespread poor workmanship within the ECO4 scheme as a whole, with 98% of homes receiving external wall insulation and 29% of those with internal insulation requiring remedial work. The government acknowledged more than 30,000 homes have suffered substandard installations since 2022, describing it as a “systemic failure.”
Political figures, including Plaid Cymru MP Liz Saville-Roberts, have called for more thorough investigations into CES and the ECO4 program. She highlighted the distress faced by affected households, raising concerns about who will provide support after the company’s collapse and how future safeguards can prevent such issues. Meanwhile, officials announced plans to invest £1.5 billion into a new Warm Homes Plan aimed at upgrading properties and addressing fuel poverty, while advocates urge the government to prioritize funding for remediation of existing failures and implement stricter quality controls for future work.
Representatives from KR8 Advisory, CES’s appointed administrators, cited a combination of financial and operational challenges compounded by the government’s decision not to extend the ECO4 scheme past March 2026 as reasons behind CES’s closure. They committed to assisting former employees with redundancy claims and employment support. Customers are being directed to information on insurance-backed guarantees through the former company’s website to seek further help
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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