Herefordshire pensioner left with no heating for a year

A Herefordshire pensioner says his rogue contractors have left his house in an unliveable state.

Raymond Morris, aged 80 of Newton St Margarets, between Pontrilas and Hay-on-Wye, took up the government-funded ECO4 scheme to make his home more energy-efficient.

But he was then left without proper heating or hot water for a year.

“They did some of the work, the wall and roof insulation, but then left me in the lurch,” he said – with the “lion’s share” of the work, the promised roof solar panels, heat pumps, boiler unit and new radiators nowhere to be seen.

The previous radiators were drained down and removed leaving only unattached pipes, leaving no heat source in the house apart from an old wood-burning stove and an electric blanket. For hot water he has had to rely on an electric shower and kettle.

“At first I was given some cock-and-bull story about their builder being ill,” Mr Morris explained.

“Now they won’t answer my calls and have blocked not just my number but my relations’ too. I couldn’t take on another firm to finish the work as they said the funding for here has already been spent.”

His attempts to contact the government, its regulator Ofgem, Citizens’ Advice and Herefordshire Council have simply left him “going round in circles”, he added.

The company which originally agreed to do the work was Birmingham-based iEnergy, whose sole director is a Mr Naser Ali.

The company was threatened with legal action last year by both Powys and Ceredigion councils for using their logos without approval in an online marketing campaign.

It has three reviews on TrustPilot, all of one star. Its website still active but there was no answer from its published phone number.

A spokesperson for TrustMark, which certifies contractors as competent to carry out work funded by the scheme, said it believed all the agreed work scheduled for Mr Morris’ property had been carried out – which Mr Morris strenuously denied.

But now he has finally made a breakthough with London-based firm GRM & Partners, which has agreed to take on the un-done work, starting later this month.