CIGA and Others

It is important to understand how everything works. What my university Head of Department once termed ‘knowing your structures’. I am often surprised to discover staff of organisations have no real knowledge of the environment in which they work or the people they relate to. If anything is not clear please let me know.

CIGA is an acronym for Cavity Insulation Guarantee Agency, which is a private limited company.

The Department for Communities and Local Government (previous Government) introduced the concept of Competent Person Schemes, essentially to back-up the now defunct HIP or Home Information Packs. HIP vanished but Competent Person Schemes remain. CIGA is allegedly a Competent Person Scheme. These schemes are also known in popular parlance as Self-Certification Schemes.

Competent Person Schemes relate to work which is subject to Local Authority Building Control and Cavity Wall Insulation is subject to Local Authority Building Control. To put it another way, Local Authority Building Control surveillance is required for cavity wall insulation. However, where a Competent Person Scheme is in operation, surveillance is deemed to be undertaken directly by the Competent Person Scheme.

CIGA is listed as a Competent Person Scheme on the relevant official Government website. A well known Competent Person Scheme (being the first) is FENSA for double glazing.

Under the law the cavity wall insulation work carried out at my home is clearly not compliant with Building Regulations. Legally (ironically) I am wholly responsible as well as the contractor, in this case British Gas; the Local Authority could serve an improvement notice on both me and British Gas.

I did contact CIGA as a consumer but never received an answer. I now know why. According to Companies House records (DATA01), CIGA is housed at 3 Vimy Court LU7 1FG and is a dormant company. Their last official financial accounts at the time of writing (DATA02) show only a large number of zeros. Not even a jar of Gold Blend or a packet of Hob-Nobs. So, what about rent, heating and lighting for the registered office ?

3 Vimy Court LU7 1FG is also home to the National Insulation Association according to the domain name registry (DATA03). Companies House information (DATA04) also places the National Insulation Association Limited at Vimy Court LU7 1FG. Therefore the Government’s alleged national watchdog for cavity wall insulation is firmly ensconced inside the headquarters of the people it is supposed to be policing.

One of the two Directors (Jeremy Robson) of CIGA Ltd is listed as holding 22 company appointments. That list (DATA05) includes the British Board of Agrément and a number of insulation companies, including Cavity Wall insulation and Solid Wall Insulation companies. At least one company boasts a British Board of Agrément certificate. I have not yet had time to make a check of all companies and associations as that will take hours.

There are three obvious key players on this subject:

• The vested interests (Insulation Companies)
• The certification body (British Board of Agrément)
• The Government recognised Competent Person Scheme (CIGA)

All of which in this case share a common Company Director. Are we really expected to have any confidence in such an arrangement ?

I would not touch the privately owned CIGA Ltd or the privately owned British Board of Agrément Ltd with the proverbial barge-pole. In my opinion CIGA’s position is now untenable. They must be dismissed forthwith. The British Board of Agrément data must be independently audited by qualified academics. The British Board of Agrément document Waltherm_CWI is obviously flawed for reasons indicated elsewhere. This document eventually supplied to me by British Gas (pathetically masquerading as a method-statement) as the British Board of Agrément refused to supply me with the information.

Fortunately there is now a viable cavity wall insulation surveillance option in the form of thermal-imaging. It is not a quirky or fringe technology. It is mainstream, available nationwide and far more affordable than of old.

There are already reasonably priced thermal-imaging cameras that will quickly identify which properties might benefit from more in-depth surveillance using an endoscope that will record voids as digital images.

Thermographic surveillance must be undertaken by a completely independent body of people attending random addresses selected by wholly independent means. Perhaps the Thermography Association could host a list of suitable players.

There is absolutely no reason why one of the well established and reputable organisations like FENSA or the APHC could not adopt the initial role required to fulfil the duties currently being completely neglected by the suspect CIGA. They are both more than competent to do so and in the case of organisations like the APHC, have well established multi-disciplinary roles already.

Anything less must be regarded with deep suspicion and there is certainly plenty to be suspicious about at the current time in this seriously compromised industry. That must include Her Majesty’s Government who must know or ought to know what is going on if they are fulfilling their own duties at the Department for Communities and Local Government.