At the time, homeowners were told that the work, which was free and supported by the government, would make their homes warmer and more energy efficient. This turned out to be false.

Blog Preston understands there are two major areas known as ‘Fishwick 247’ and ‘Fishwick 250’ which were targeted by rogue home insulation firm Ecogen – which has since gone bust. Estimates from the NEA suggest that up to 800 homes could be affected.

Around £4m has been spent on 45 repairs to the properties in the past two years, with the NEA saying the high price per house is due to the specialist nature of the work and also contractors need to be subsidized to undertake the work because of the risks . the history of the previous scheme is also involved.

Several properties around 60 in total have undergone repairs – undertaken through a scheme that predates the NEA’s repair work – but the charity says there are still hundreds of homes likely to experience damp and mold problems as a result of the work insulation of external walls.

What National Energy Action does

An NEA spokesman said: “The Fishwick area has been included in this scheme as one of the most deprived areas in Preston. At least 400 homes in Fishwick have had work carried out as part of this scheme, we suspect the number is much higher.

“Unfortunately, there have been problems with those installations and real concerns about the quality of some of the work. The contractor, Ecogen, went into liquidation shortly after the works were completed and without the problems being fixed. All this came to light before the changes designed to protect households, set out in the government’s review, Every Home Meter, were in place. Ofgem received complaints from 62 households who were offered remedial works in 2017, but many homes remain in need of repairs since those works were undertaken. These homes left behind continued to deteriorate and raised significant health and safety issues for the occupants.”

“National Energy Action (NEA) has been raising funds to help rehabilitate some properties left behind and decided to work with the people of Fishwick to design a project that avoids the mistakes of the past. Our community presence began in 2020 to engage with households affected by failed containment and to try to restore trust and hope to those affected. NEA has now completed two phases of work, with a total of 45 homes repaired so far, providing their occupants with a significantly improved quality of life. The NEA is currently carrying out surveys in Fishwick to fully understand the extent of the remaining problem and the likely costs of remediating each affected home.”

NEA is working with Seddon Homes and other contractors on the repair work. The video below shows the work involved – or you can watch it further YouTube.

Preston Community Centre Taz Ali helps identify properties in need of support in Fishwick and helps home owners.

Preston MP Sir Mark Hendrick has been campaigning on the issue since residents began flooding his office with complaints about the Fishwick 247 scheme – when Ecogen gave up and left people with nowhere to turn to get repairs.

In 2022 hWe have officially launched the NEA repair scheme and has they submitted joint debates on the Fishwick 247 issue.

Sir Mark Hendrick MP said: “The faulty installation of the house’s insulation was first brought to my attention in 2016. After much discussion with various government departments and securing a debate in Westminster Hall on the situation in Fishwick, the NEA charity agreed to come to Preston and assess the enormity of the problem. Surveys have been completed and the remedial work that has been carried out since then has been of a very high standard. I am pleased with the way the NEA has engaged with the local community in Fishwick and repaired some of the damage previously done to people’s homes by rogue operators.

“This work has dramatically improved the lives of residents whose homes have been affected by unbearable levels of dampness and mould. NEA worked with partner organizations locally to introduce specially designed insulation products to affected homes in Fishwick. NEA has an excellent track record of helping to alleviate energy poverty and is also continuing to work in areas of Preston to improve energy efficiency.

“I would urge those residents whose homes have been affected by the faulty installation of external cladding in Fishwick to come forward and engage in any surveys undertaken by the NEA as they will be essential in determining the full extent of the problems.”

How to get help

Anyone who thinks they may be in an affected property should contact the NEA through their dedicated Fishwick scheme. You can also WhatsApp Taz Ali on 07541100431 or email [email protected]

They will then arrange for an inspector from Aldrock to visit the property and see if there is one that has been affected by the dishonest insult.

How you can help

Funding is not available to complete all repairs, and NEA is fundraising to try to ensure it has a large enough pot to eventually repair all affected properties. Donations can be made via NEA website.

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