The UK government has recently reaffirmed its commitment to making homes warmer and safer by pledging £6.6 billion to its ‘Warm Homes’ plan. This ambitious initiative aims to retrofit five million homes over the next five years, with the funding designated to upgrade insulation, reduce heat loss, combat damp and mould, and improve overall health. Additionally, the ‘Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund’ allocates further resources to social housing landlords, enabling them to retrofit their homes to meet these high standards.
However, as Panorama’s recent investigation, Britain’s Mouldy Homes, revealed, there are serious concerns about the prevalence of damp and mould issues in housing and how they are being dealt with by landlords and local authorities. According to the BBC, over half a million (570,000) tenants have made complaints about their landlords in the last seven years. Of these complaints, over 90% resulted in no action.
While the allocation of government funding paints the picture of positive action to reduce these numbers, there are questions about the effectiveness and safety of previous government-funded retrofit schemes. Recent inspections have uncovered widespread poor-quality solid wall insulation, leading to the suspension of 39 businesses. These installers are now being held responsible for rectifying the substandard work, with affected households not being asked to pay for the flawed installations.
Dr. Alex Boote, Product & Innovation Manager at ARC Building Solutions, explains the importance of proper retrofit work to ensure that the government’s funding truly delivers on its promise. “While the government’s support for warmer homes is undoubtedly a step in the right direction, we must ensure that the retrofit work is carried out to the highest standard. And that means not just addressing the walls, but the eaves too: the joint between the roof and the wall which is an area all-too-often ignored. To neglect the eaves when improving the insulation in a home is to increase the thermal bridging and thus likely intensify the risk of mould and damp. More moisture and thus potentially mould will build up due to the lower temperatures on the surfaces inside the home. This leads to rafter rot which can weaken the structural integrity of the home, and black mould inside the living space which can be detrimental to health.”
“Even when installers attempt to address the eaves, they frequently neglect ventilation, exacerbating damp and mould problems in the loft space. Effective eaves insulation and ventilation should not only reduce heat loss and thermal bridging but also maintain essential airflow to prevent moisture accumulation. Our Retrofit Eaves Insulator is designed to address both these issues, improving thermal performance while ensuring proper ventilation.”
The issue of damp and mould in UK homes is not a new one. The tragic case of toddler Awaab Ishak, who died in 2020 due to prolonged exposure to mould, highlights the deadly consequences that poor living conditions can have on residents. As highlighted by Panorama, these unacceptable conditions remain pervasive in some of the UK’s most vulnerable housing.
Dr. Boote calls on the government to back its significant investment with additional support for understanding the correct retrofit measures and collaborating with accredited, reliable installers. “The government’s investment is vital, but to truly improve the health and safety of the nation’s homes, it’s critical that this funding is paired with guidance on best practices and working with trusted professionals,” he says. “And of course, let’s not forget private tenants who must also not be left behind in the continuous drive for warmer, healthier homes.”
Despite recent progress – such as the increase in homes in higher efficiency bands (A to C) from 23% to 52% in the past decade – damp problems continue to affect a significant percentage of UK housing. According to a January 2025 report, 5% of homes are still grappling with damp issues, up from 3-4% in 2019, underlining the urgent need for continued efforts to combat the issue.
To find out more about ARC’s Retrofit Eaves Insulator, visit www.arcbuildingsolutions.co.uk
