By Stu Bretherton
Fuel Poverty Action and our members have been exposing how this Government’s plans fall short of ending fuel poverty and delivering warm, healthy homes for all.
In January 2026, the UK Government announced its long awaited Warm Homes Plan and Fuel Poverty Strategy. Government Ministers appeared on tv with big smiles, ready to sing their own praises. Their press release said the plans would “lift 1 million people out of fuel poverty.”
But after weeks of government delay to the announcement, FPA got in first, exposing the scale of failure under previous government insulation schemes. Our members spoke out in the press about how their homes have been destroyed by cowboy contractors, leaving them with damp, mould, and sky high bills.
The standard of so-called improvements to homes in the UK is equal to vandalism, it’s criminal. Over 30,000 homes have been damaged with 1 in 10 of these households placed in immediate health and safety danger. At a cost of £4 billion added onto our energy bills.
2 days later, a committee of MPs called for the Serious Fraud Office to investigate these failures.
So by the time Ministers, Martin McCluskey and Ed Miliband, appeared on our screens the smiles disappeared pretty quickly as they had to field a series of tough questions and criticism. When could victims expect repairs to be done? How will the Ministers avoid making the same mistakes again?
Meanwhile, off-screen, FPA supporters bombarded McCluskey and Miliband with over a thousand letters demanding that all damaged homes be checked and fixed, a public enquiry into the failures, protections for residents in future schemes and investment in workforce skills and training.
Within 24 hours, FPA heard from Martin McCluskey saying he was willing to meet with us. But we’re still waiting, so keep the letters coming!
Let the Minister know that he won’t stop hearing from us until all of our demands are met.
Nearly 400 victims of botched retrofits are organising together with support from FPA. If you’ve been affected, contact fpa@fuelpovertyaction.org.uk.
