A former ECO4 installer has launched a free online guide to help thousands of UK homeowners access government-funded repairs for botched insulation work.
Stephen Courtney, a plasterer with 15 years’ experience who worked on the scheme for four years, created the resource after repeatedly encountering homeowners who were about to pay £1,500-£2,500 for repairs the government would fix for free.
More than 30,000 UK homes are affected by the ECO4 insulation scandal, with 98% of external wall insulation and 29% of internal wall insulation installations found to have major defects requiring remediation, according to the National Audit Office.
Despite government promises that “no household should pay” to fix faulty work, Courtney says the information isn’t reaching homeowners.
“Every time someone calls me for a quote to repair ECO4 failures, I ask if they’ve checked the government’s free remediation programme,” he said. “Every single time, the answer is no. People are about to spend thousands they don’t need to.”
The free guide walks homeowners through the process step by step, including template emails and contact details for the organisations who can help.
It covers:
· How to find out who installed your insulation
· What to do if the installer is still trading
· How to claim on your guarantee if they’ve gone bust
· Template emails for every scenario
· Where TrustMark fits in (and where it doesn’t)
The guide was created after Courtney witnessed the confusion firsthand. Homeowners with damp, mould, and cracked walls were contacting him for quotes, unaware that free remediation existed.
In one case, a woman had already paid £2,200 to have faulty insulation removed before learning the government would have done it for free.
“I created this guide because I got tired of hearing ‘I wish I’d known,'” Courtney added. “If it helps one person avoid paying £2,000 they didn’t need to, it’s been worth it.”
The guide is free to access and share.
