Damp, mould and insect epidemic hitting properties in Llanelli

• Homeowners at risk of long term ill health
• Wettest winter on record a key factor
• Hundreds affected

Hundreds of homes in Llanelli are suffering from dampness, mould, condensation and insect infestation – while homeowners are also running the risk of long term ill health – as a result of wrongly installed cavity wall insulation (CWI).

Figures from the Department of Energy and Climate Change show that cavity wall insulation levels in Llanelli are above the national average in many places. What’s more, with a high proportion of properties Llanelli being located in areas of high exposure to wind driven rain, industry expert Saimina Virmani, CEO at Cavity Wall Lawyers, says CWI is unfit for purpose in many homes.

“Homes in Llanelli are particularly vulnerable to CWI-related property problems,” says Saimina. “Homes severely affected by driving rain are often unsuitable for cavity wall installation. Yet over last few years we have seen a frenzied increase in the number of unregulated installation companies targeted homeowners in Llanelli, often through all cold calling and other dubious means.”

When the Government signed the Climate Change Act in 2008, CWI was hailed as a relatively inexpensive adaptation that could save homeowners money on heating bills and add value to the property itself. Government targets were set to challenge the major energy suppliers to insulate as many homes as possible in an effort to increase the energy efficiency of homes across the UK. A range of Government backed attractive incentive schemes were also introduced. One such scheme, the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) – which replaced the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) and the Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP) – obligates suppliers to deliver energy efficiency measures to domestic premises in Britain and has been extended to 31 March 2017.

The Welsh Assembly Government’s Home Energy Efficiency Scheme has also provided heating and insulation grants to more than 70,000 homes – and yet when it comes to the installation of CWI, lessons have not been learned.

The Cavity Wall Insulation Agency (CIGA), which provides controversial 25 year guarantees for CWI fitted by registered installers in the UK, has recently published its latest complaints statistics – with complaints in the first quarter of 2016 at nearly twice the level of the same period in 2015. One of the reasons given for the increase is the extreme weather conditions – with 2016 winter being the wettest on record for Wales.

Continued Saimina Virmani:

“Problems only become apparent two to three winters after cavity wall insulation has been installed, which is why we are seeing a massive increase in numbers at the moment.

“We recently acted for a homeowner who had cavity wall insulation installed by a supposedly reputable company under what she thought was the Green Deal Scheme.

“Unfortunately the insulation was not installed correctly. Soon after it was fitted she started to notice damp patches on the walls and a build-up of condensation on the windows. She contacted the installers to report the problem but they gave her very little attention.

“By this point, the property was in a bad state. The dampness had crept its way up and was now enveloping the walls and ceiling, black mould covered the skirting boards and window ledges and she found that there were little black insects appearing in her kitchen. But worst of all, her little boy’s bedroom was so damp and foul-smelling that it began to impact his health. We are seeing cases like this – and worse – throughout Llanelli.”