Thousands of households REFUSED mortgages after installing popular energy-saving method
Thousands of households REFUSED mortgages after installing popular energy-saving method
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THOUSANDS of homeowners are still being refused mortgages after they installed spray foam insulation in their roofs. It is estimated that as many as 300,000 UK homes have this insulation, which has been used for decades as a way to cut energy bills. But spray foam can cause structural damage if it is not installed correctly.
![[Technician spraying foam insulation in an attic.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/technician-spraying-foam-insulation-using-767230712.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Much of this spray foam was installed using funding from the previous Government’s Green Homes Grant scheme. Through the scheme, individual homeowners could apply for funding worth up to £5,000 to cover two-thirds of the cost of installing energy-efficiency measures.
The money could be used for a variety of home improvement projects including installing heat pumps, energy-efficient windows, doors and spray foam insulation. In a Parliamentary debate in December MP Tom Gordon revealed that between September 2020 and March 2021, just short of 50,000 vouchers were paid to homeowners.
The exact number of vouchers which were spent on installing spray foam is unknown. But almost 14,000 vouchers were used for loft and pitched roof installation, which could have included spray foam. Installing spray foam usually involves spraying a liquid foam onto the inside of the roof, which then sets to form a hard layer of insulation.
But it can trap condensation and create damp, which can cause the roof timbers to rot. Despite installing the foam as a way to reduce their energy bills, these homeowners are now facing thousands of pounds of remedial work. Meanwhile, their homes have become unmortgageable and difficult to sell.
