Trading Standards - Insulation Scam Call - Lung Health

1st November 2024

There have been more reports of cold callers providing misleading information about loft insulation. One man in his 80s was told by a cold caller that they were surveying homes in his area and asked if he had yellow fibreglass insulation. The caller claimed that this insulation causes damp and mould in the roof and would need to be replaced.

The caller asked to make an appointment to visit the man's house, but the man had previously worked in the building trade and so refused to deal with them.

Consumer body Which has also received reports of cold callers who try to pressure older homeowners over the phone to upgrade their loft insulation to spray foam insulation, which they say is safer and more efficient. They claim that their products are endorsed by the 'British Lung Foundation' and say that the charity recommends urgently replacing fibreglass insulation because a 'recent study' carried out by them found it is ‘extremely harmful' to lung health.
There is no evidence that these health risks exist.

Asthma and Lung UK (which replaced the British Lung Foundation in 2020) says it doesn't endorse any insulation products and has never suggested that any loft insulation material is unsafe.

At the start of the year, we issued a warning about spray foam insulation, following a 42% rise in scams related to the product in 2023.

How to Avoid
Don't deal with cold callers who offer a 'free' loft inspection - they may try to sell you energy saving or home improvement measures that you don’t actually need and which won’t provide any benefit.
If you are shown pictures of mould in your roof space, or are told about serious defects in your house, get a second opinion before starting any work.

If you are concerned about your existing insulation or any other energy saving measures in your home, seek impartial advice from trusted companies rather than cold callers or online adverts. Have an impartial assessment carried out to determine which energy saving measures will actually benefit your home.

Always take time to think before making a decision - don't agree to make any payments for goods or services on the spot.
Do plenty of research - get at least 3 quotes and check 3 review sites. If you need to call a trader for emergency repair work, find someone who has been vetted through a national or local authority approved trader scheme.

Home Energy Scotland offer free and impartial advice on energy saving measures and information about funding available in your area - call them free on 0808 808 2282 or visit www.homeenergyscotland.org.

Find out more
Avoid Insulation Scams - PDF: www.tsscot.co.uk/Spray-Foam-Journey.pdf
Home Energy Scotland: www.homeenergyscotland.org
Advice from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) on the use of spray foam: www.rics.org/news-insights/rics-release-new-spray-foam-consumer-guide
Find traders who have been vetted and approved by local Trading Standards officers: www.approvedtrader.scot
Trading Standards Scotland website: www.tsscot.co.uk/priority-areas/energy-marketing-scams
Which? Article: www.which.co.uk/news/article/scam-alert-british-lung-foundation-loft-insulation-cold-calls