What's changed: spray foam news and updates (UK)

2026 brought the BBA suspension, a government consultation on consumer protection, the end of GBIS, and new routes and rules from lenders and trade bodies^[1][2]. Newest first:

• 31 October 2026 — The UK Spray Foam Guide published on sprayfoamcheck.co.uk; every page now carries the date of its last weekly source check. → The UK Spray Foam Guide
• 22 October 2026 — DESNZ published a policy paper, "Spray foam insulation: remediation, removal and lending". It names eight lenders (Nationwide, Lloyds, Santander, Barclays, NatWest, Coventry Building Society, the Co-operative Bank and HSBC) as open to lending on homes with spray foam, subject to their own requirements, points homeowners to specialist surveyors and the 2023 inspection protocol, and says removal will not always mean a lender will still lend^[54]. → Government position
• 17 October 2026 — An MP, a Cornwall councillor and Cornwall Trading Standards met the energy minister about cold-calling and doorstep sales of spray foam; the local press reported that stronger consumer protections were expected later in the year^[56]. → Scams and cold calls
• 10 September 2026 — The government's consultation on reforming consumer protection for home upgrade schemes closed; no response had been published by 20 October 2026^[2]. Citizens Advice's response asked for the new protection to cover privately funded work too^[8]. → Government position
• 1 September 2026 — Trade press reported that More2life can now consider cases where spray foam is present, with repairs managed through a third party^[9]. → Mortgages and lenders
• 21 August 2026 — The Financial Ombudsman published an upheld Section 75 decision: independent surveyor reports and the homeowner's photographed moisture readings showed foam sprayed over a high-resistance membrane with the ventilation blocked; the loan was cancelled and the foam is to be removed at the lender's cost. Seven further spray foam decisions published in July and August 2026 were not upheld^[57]. → Section 75 and the ombudsman
• 27–28 August 2026 — The PCA announced a membership branch for spray foam removal contractors, described as a benchmark rather than regulation of the market; a consultation on it followed in September. This was reported in the trade press; the PCA's own release could not be opened^[3]. → Removal
• 29–30 July 2026 — Trade press carried a PCA warning that fraudsters were showing fake PCA ID, telling homeowners their property was on a "national database", and issuing fake reports in members' names. It advised an independent assessment before accepting removal advice from any firm with a commercial interest^[10]. → Scams and cold calls
• 22 July 2026 — Trade press reported a later-life lender offering remortgage and equity release routes for homes affected by spray foam^[11]. → Mortgages and lenders
• 8 July 2026 — The Commons Library's briefing page (CBP-10658) records a modification on 8 July 2026; it still gives the wrong closing date for the Green Homes Grant^[12]. → Government position
• 27 June 2026 — The local press reported a letter from the Minister for Energy Consumers saying seven major lenders would now consider lending on homes with spray foam, and that he hoped to "remove the blanket bans" within months^[55]. → Government position
• 17 June 2026 — The government published its consultation "Reforming Consumer Protection for Home Upgrade Schemes". It proposes a single consumer protection service for government-supported upgrades, an independent ombudsman as the final backstop, a public register of approved installers and warranty reform, and notes that some consumers have been targeted for removal of products like spray foam^[2]. → Government position
• 15 June 2026 — UKAS confirmed it had suspended all its recognition of the BBA from 26 February 2026, until the BBA closes UKAS's findings and at the latest 25 November 2026. Existing UKAS-backed approvals stay valid until they expire, but no new ones can be issued^[1]. → Product approvals and the BBA
• 31 March 2026 — The Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) closed to new installations^[4]. → History and schemes
• 30 March 2026 — The 6th edition of the TA6 property information form became mandatory for Law Society Conveyancing Quality Scheme firms; no question on it names spray foam, though 5.1(h) and 6.1(h) ask about insulation works and warranties^[13][14]. → Selling with spray foam
• 26 February 2026 — UKAS suspended its recognition of the British Board of Agrément (BBA), a product approval body^[1]. UKAS gives no reasons; the BBA says the cause was a July 2025 change in its company structure, and it appealed against the suspension on 26 March 2026^[15]. → Product approvals and the BBA
• 23 January 2026 — The government extended ECO4 by nine months, to 31 December 2026; its response says nothing about spray foam^[5]. → History and schemes
• 21 January 2026 — The government published the Warm Homes Plan: £15 billion over this Parliament to upgrade up to 5 million homes, corrected on 18 March 2026. It does not mention spray foam^[7]. → Government position
• 12–16 January 2026 — In written answers the government said most spray foam loft insulation was installed outside its schemes^[16], that it holds no product-level figure (the Green Homes Grant funded 6,217 pitched-roof measures using any product)^[17], and that scheme customers can get non-compliant work put right under their warranty even if the installer has ceased trading^[18]. → Government position
• 5 January 2026 — The House of Commons Library published its spray foam briefing, CBP-10658^[12]. → Government position

In 2025 the government said a correctly installed product should not need removal and said there were no government schemes to pay for removal, while Citizens Advice and the PCA published evidence of problems^[19][6]. Newest first:

• 22 December 2025 — The Building Safety Regulator published fire research (report dated July 2024) on one open-cell foam under old tiles and slate. No specimen was penetrated within 60 minutes, but the foam behind the slate charred; the findings are not government policy^[20]. → Fire safety
• November 2025 — Trading Standards guidance for installers (CTSI and the Department for Business and Trade) set out what installers should do, including a product approval, design to BS 5250:2021, photos before, during and after, and the 14-day cancellation right^[21]. → Installation requirements
• 18 August 2025 — In its response to the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee (HC 1260), the government said spray foam alone should not automatically prevent lending, and cases should be decided individually after a survey^[22]. → Mortgages and lenders
• 17 June 2025 — Citizens Advice published "A Foamidable Challenge": spray foam complaints to its consumer service more than doubled in 2024, and it called for a single ombudsman and a single quality mark for home upgrades^[23]. → Consumer rights
• 13–17 June 2025 — Written answers said a correctly installed product should not need removal^[19] and that the Green Homes Grant never specified which insulation types could be fitted^[24]. → Government position
• 19 May 2025 — In May 2025 the PCA reported a survey of more than 500 inspections by 15 of the 21 firms on its register, in which 35% found a foam-related defect and 27% recommended major works. These were homes already under suspicion, and the figures rest on press reports^[25]. → Condensation and timbers
• 16 May 2025 — Trade press reported the Co-operative Bank changing its criteria to consider open-cell foam under conditions, having been among the lenders that refused in 2024^[26][27]. → Mortgages and lenders
• 6 April 2025 — New consumer protection rules in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 came into force, taking over from the 2008 unfair trading regulations; its new private redress sections were not in force at October 2026^[28]. → Consumer rights
• April 2025 — The PCA published a spray foam consumer guide produced with RPSA, the IMA and others^[29]. → Paperwork
• 26 March 2025 — A written answer confirmed there are no government schemes to help private homeowners pay to remove spray foam^[6]. → Government position
• 10–12 February 2025 — The HomeOwners Alliance and the PCA wrote to ministers asking for a roundtable on grant eligibility and on how affected homes can be sold, and for action on rogue removal firms^[30]. → Government position
• 5 February 2025 — Warwickshire Trading Standards warned of high-pressure spray foam installers and removers, including rogue installers returning under new names to sell removal to former customers^[31]. → Scams and cold calls

2024 brought the government's moisture research, a ministerial position on lending, and the BBC's survey of lenders^[32][27]. Newest first:

• 6 December 2024 — A Commons adjournment debate was held on spray foam and property values; the minister said there should be no blanket mortgage exclusion and referred to a consumer protection review^[33]. → Government position
• 19 November 2024 — A BBC survey of the 20 largest lenders found five would not lend where there is spray foam in the roof, two usually would not, one only on new builds, and most others decided case by case^[27]. → Mortgages and lenders
• October 2024 — The Insulation Manufacturers Association published a guide aimed at mortgage lenders, valuers and surveyors; it says removal is "very rarely necessary" but cites no evidence^[34]. → Removal
• 8 August 2024 — Devon, Somerset and Torbay Trading Standards reported a steep rise in complaints about cold callers selling spray foam removal, often linked to the original installer^[35]. → Scams and cold calls
• July 2024 — Historic England's Advice Note 18 said spraying foam under the roof covering of a listed building needs listed building consent and is likely to harm the building's fabric (minor revisions, February 2026)^[36]. → Installation requirements
• 7 May 2024 — Housing minister Lee Rowley wrote that spray foam should not by itself prevent lending^[37]. The Building Safety Regulator replied that its research is theoretical modelling of a limited set of scenarios, not installation guidance^[38]. → Government position
• 28 March 2024 — The Building Safety Regulator published moisture modelling by HSE: low risk for open-cell foam fitted to BS 5250:2021, high risk where foam is sprayed directly onto the roof covering^[32]. → Condensation and timbers
• 23 February 2024 — The PCA launched a membership branch for specialists who assess spray foam in pitched roofs^[39]. → For professionals

2023 brought an inspection protocol for surveyors, a code of practice and the RICS consumer guide^[40][41]. Newest first:

• 24 August 2023 — An EU restriction required training from this date for users of diisocyanate products, the reactive chemicals in spray foam; its UK status is not confirmed^[42]; the IMA Code describes this as a UK REACH requirement^[41]. → Fumes and health
• May 2023 — The Insulation Manufacturers Association published its Spray Foam Code of Practice (Issue 1). It sets a process (survey, product approval, homeowner pack) but no technical limits^[41]. → Installation requirements
• March 2023 — The Sprayed Foam Insulation Inspection Protocol, developed through a PCA and RPSA working group, was launched for surveyors^[40]. → Paperwork
• 3 March 2023 — RICS launched its spray foam consumer guide^[43]. → Paperwork
• 1 January 2023 — New foam products containing HFC blowing agents with a global warming potential of 150 or more were banned, so closed-cell foams moved to newer HFO agents^[44]. → What spray foam is

In 2022 surveyors called for regulation, a major lender set evidence requirements, and RPSA withdrew its 2021 guidance^[45][46][47]. Newest first:

• 25 November 2022 — Nationwide was reported to require documentary evidence of correct installation before lending^[46]. → Mortgages and lenders
• 25 October 2022 — RPSA withdrew its December 2021 guidance for surveyors, pending a full review^[47]. → History and schemes
• 17 August 2022 — RPSA and the PCA called for regulation of the spray foam industry, including mandatory installer training and audits^[45]. → History and schemes
• July 2022 — A new-build warranty provider said it would not accept spray foam in pitched or flat roofs of new homes, even with a product approval^[48]. → Mortgages and lenders
• 22 June 2022 — Trade press reported a written answer in which a minister said spray foam was acceptable under the scheme installation standards, that installers chose products, and that the government would not intervene on lending^[49]. → Government position

2021 saw the Green Homes Grant close, the current moisture code published, and a widely reported warning about spray foam and mortgages^[50][51]. Newest first:

• December 2021 — RPSA and the PCA estimated that "as many as 250,000" UK homes may have spray foam, with no method published, and told surveyors to recommend removal in almost every case without detailed technical data^[51]. → History and schemes
• 2021 — BS 5250:2021, the British Standard code of practice for managing moisture in buildings, was published^[52]. → Condensation and timbers
• 31 March 2021 — The Green Homes Grant voucher scheme closed to applications^[50]. → History and schemes
• 16 March 2021 — Ofgem's Technical Advisory Panel did not approve a spray foam pitched-roof application and asked for monitoring that timber stays below the 20% moisture level in the product approval^[53]. → Installation requirements