Vulnerable Burnley people face bills of up to £72,000 to remove botched cavity wall insulation that turned their homes damp and mouldy

The victims say they feel "totally let down" by the 25-year guarantees that were supposed to protect them should the CWI fitted under government-backed green energy schemes fail.

Janice Sutcliffe (77) had CWI installed in 2014 in her terraced home, and despite it failing, she can only claim £751 to have it removed. It is also despite extraction costing £42,000 to £72,000.

"The guarantee wouldn't even cover the redecorating, even if I did it myself.

"I feel let down by a company that said their product was far superior to any other, and the Government approved it. I feel used."

The CWI scandal began with a government green scheme initiated in the 1990s to reduce fuel poverty by cutting heating bills for people living in houses with poor energy efficiency, mainly terraces in urban areas like Burnley.

Experts say CWI caused mould and damp in some properties due to being installed poorly and in the wrong homes and places (like high-elevation areas with wind-driven rain, such as Burnley). Victims say installers did not assess their homes to determine their suitability.

Many homeowners add that they cannot use their 25-year warranty to remove the insulation. It is because the installers have closed down, and the guarantee agencies blame the damp and mould on homeowners' lifestyle choices or claim they have voided their warranties by conducting maintenance work.

Ben Hartley can claim up to £4,212.78 but faces extraction costs of more than £60,000. Another homeowner, who wishes to remain anonymous, can claim just over £4,000 but must fork out at least £56,000.

Many residents now have crushing debts after turning to firms like Pure Legal and SSB Law to claim compensation on a supposed no-win, no-basis in the hopes of returning their homes to their original condition. But after SSB Law collapsed in January, Janice has a nearly £26,000 bill and a £10,000 charge on her property.

"It's making me ill because I'm worried about this bill and charge on my property.

"It needs to be put right. It's the Government's responsibility to get this sorted. They have put thousands of pounds into these companies."

The Burnley Express and the SSB Law Victims Group are calling on the Government to deliver justice for homeowners and bring in new laws to protect residents in the future as ministers continue to roll out CWI schemes.

Our petition asks the Government to:

• Make it compulsory for installers to assess a property's suitability for CWI products on an individual basis, not a scheme basis.
• Create a new government department to regulate installers, surveyors, and extractors; for a government-approved RICS building surveyor to visit a property and thoroughly investigate it when CWI failure is suspected; and for government-approved extraction teams to conduct the remedial work.
• Take control of guarantee agencies, police CWI installers and ensure guarantees sufficiently cover any remedial work.
• Require all extractors by law to be TrustMark-approved, Chas-advanced, and Oscar Onsite-accredited.
• Hold directors and CEOs of guarantee agencies accountable for non-payment of guarantees.

To sign our petition, please visit https://chng.it/gVWqqD95XK