Schemes taking advantage of incentives offered by the Government to encourage green energy are massively important in helping to ensure new homes are as fuel efficient as possible.

But it is vital that contractors taking on such programmes are able to fulfil their obligations, so action by MP David Ward to tackle this issue is to be welcomed.

Residents on the Parkside estate in Bradford say that cladding work on their homes, carried out under the government’s Energy Companies Obligation, which provides the cladding free, left some properties with problems including detached gutters, no window sills and damage to the roofs.

Poor weather and issues with funding contributed in this case, but there is obviously a wider issue here, and Mr Ward has asked energy minister Ed Davey to look into it.

The MP wants to see regulations put in place to ensure inspection of energy works is up to scratch and residents using such schemes get a decent standard of work.

That seems a more than reasonable expectation. There may have been some specific issues in this particular case that caused the problems, but householders should not have to put up with such a standard of work – particularly on such an important issue.