Damage to windows, a flooded bathroom and work left unfinished.

These are just some of the complaints made by one homeowner about Dartford council’s £4 million Warmer Streets Project, which aims to keep people warm while lowering household bills.

Contractor Lawtech was hired to equip hundreds of homes with new heating and solid wall insulation, but some residents on the Tree Estate in Dartford have criticised the quality of the work.

Residents were encouraged to sign up for the heavily subsidised scheme by members of the Warmer Streets Project team, who were hired by Dartford council to approach homeowners.

Some were offered the insulation for as little as £1,200, compared to the £10,000 it would have cost otherwise.

Blake Mackennon, 29, a construction planner, claims his Elm Road home suffered damage to window sills, flooding in the bathroom, and that wall insulation had been fitted incorrectly.

He signed up in late 2014 and work started in January 2015.

In May, after complaints, the firm stopped working on his property.

He says scaffolding was not cleared until December, his home was damaged and work remains unfinished.

Mr Mackennon said: “Lawtech’s insurance company ended up paying me for the damage to my windows.”

He believes that Lawtech have not completed the work on his property, which has left him unable to get a mortgage.

“If you look on the Dartford council website the job is listed as being completed on May 22, but it was not.”

“Our insurers reached settlement of a window related claim submitted by Mr Mackennon.” Lawtech.

Mr Mackennon also claims that Lawtech did not carry out a necessary inspection before work started. It was later discovered the property was suffering from damp, which should have rendered it unfit for the construction.

A spokesman for Lawtech defended the quality of the work. They said: “Photos of Mr Mackennon’s property are over 12 months old and show normal works in progress at a point in time.

“As an example, the window sill tiles are necessarily cut back to accommodate the insulation and are covered by new sills. The old tiles will never be on show again. This is perfectly normal progress for these works.

“Our insurers reached settlement of a window related claim submitted by Mr Mackennon.”

Samuel Arundell, 38, of Beech Road, says he had a similarly experience with the Warmer Streets Project.

He says his property was signed off for work while he was abroad, without checking with him first, and that workers failed to completely insulate his home.

Mr Arundell, an electrician by trade, suggested that taxpayers would be unhappy to discover that their money had been used to subsidise the project.

“All residents believed this was backed by the council and so put their whole trust in it, where in fact, the opposite is being proclaimed. The council’s stance is one of ‘your problem, not ours’.” Samuel Arundell.

“Some people might have issues with their taxpayer’s money being spent on this,” he said.

“It was meant to be given to people in fuel poverty, but a lot of the people having this work done to their homes are actually doing fine.

“Still, it is going to take me 25 years just to get the £1,700 I paid back. The savings are not actually that substantial.”

Mr Arundell has written to Dartford council about his problems but was told it was a private contract between him and Lawtech.

“The council do not want to take on a big company and do not seem to care that they are damaging the estate,” he said.

“I never instructed, employed or hired Lawtech - they were presented as the company to carry out the works.

“All residents believed this was backed by the council and so put their whole trust in it, where in fact, the opposite is being proclaimed. The council’s stance is one of ‘your problem, not ours’.”

Last year we reported that other Tree Estate residents had complained of blocked drains, being unable to open windows after external insulation was installed, being left with no guttering and poor housekeeping.

“It is disappointing to learn that a few local residents are still having issues with Lawtech because the aim of making houses more efficient and less costly to run couldn’t be more important." Dartford council.

Alison Huntley, of Beech Road, said their homes had been ‘messed up’ by the work, while Stuart Howitt, of Myrtle Road, branded it ‘appalling’.

A spokesman for Dartford council acknowledged the concerns and said they would continue to work with Lawtech to ensure they were meeting the standards of residents.

They said: “It is disappointing to learn that a few local residents are still having issues with Lawtech because the aim of making houses more efficient and less costly to run couldn’t be more important.

“These householders have entered into a contract with Lawtech and have every right to expect the work to be completed to a proper standard.

“The council has worked hard with Lawtech and continues to work with them to improve the quality of the work carried out and ensure existing customers are satisfied.”