P-06-1491 We demand a fair deal for residents affected by the Arbed CESP scheme  - Correspondence from the Petitioner to the Committee, 18 March 2025

I'll update you on the background of our plight. Back in 2012, I and many other residents in Caerau were enticed into a government-backed scheme, which was funded by Arbed and Cesp. This scheme was sold to residents as the best thing since sliced bread, and it would make our homes energy-efficient and more economical to run. This involved installing external wall insulation, and where not possible on the outside, it would be installed internally. There were also boilers replaced in properties where the boilers were over a certain age.

The installers were Green Renewable Wales, a company set up by a councillor of BCBC and a subcontractor, Tower Energy. The tender for the job was handed to GRW without due process; this has been investigated by Audit Wales. Details of which can be found here : arbed-scheme-caerau-findings-of-internal-audit.pdf

Residents encountered multiple problems during the installation, including terrible workmanship, rude contractors, and misuse of people's properties.

When the contractors had apparently finished the project, issues started to appear, and multiple complaints were made to the company. Unfortunately, no resolution to these issues was made, and ultimately, GRW went into liquidation. Multiple residents kept on complaining and continued to complain to MP's Senedd Members, BCBC, and trading standards.

Our fight has been ongoing for many, many years. We are now 13 years later, and the condition of our homes that have been left in due to this insulation is absolutely disgusting! I alone have spent close to £20k or more over the 13 years trying to rectify issues and thrown money away. To put it in perspective, I replaced my kitchen in 2017 at a cost of £9k due to the previous one being ruined by the dampness, and this kitchen has gone the same way. I can't have open foods in the cupboards; tins rust. I've gone through multiple small kitchen electrical items due to rusting and failing. I am not the only one in this predicament. Other residents have also spent unscrupulous amounts of money trying to rectify the faults, and we cannot keep doing it. Some residents do not have the money at all to try to do this, and they live in derelict homes.

I appreciate that finally, after 12 years, work started to remove the faulty insulation; however, that is all that is being done. No rectification work is being done to our homes; walls are not being replastered, carpets and some furnishings are not being replaced, and there is no compensation!

After all we have been through as residents, such an arrangement is an insult. We are being left to recuperate the costs of a badly mismanaged energy scheme that should have been overseen correctly. Additionally, a while back, I requested information on Arbed, the contracts between WG and BCBC and the conditions that BCBC was meant to adhere to. There were significant failings.

I would also like there to be a public inquiry into what took place and how this was allowed to happen.

I want to thank you for taking the time to consider our petition, and I look forward to hearing from you. 

Rhiannon Goodall