A £4 million scheme aimed at keeping people warm while lowering household bills has been suspended after complaints about the work.

The Warmer Streets Project, led by Dartford council, was set up to improve energy efficiency in homes by providing new heating systems plus solid wall insulation.

It was created to help deliver the government’s Green Deal, an initiative to find the best way to pay for energy-saving improvements at home.

So far, more than 250 homes have signed up, but some people on the Tree Estate in Dartford have criticised the work.

Contractors Lawtech Limited admitted there had been problems and it was trying to resolve them.

Homeowners claim problems include blocked drains, being unable to open windows after external insulation was installed, being left with no guttering and poor housekeeping.

Alison Huntley of Beech Road, Dartford, said she was unable to open her window after her home was pebbledashed during the insulation works.

She said: “When neighbours heard I raised the issue I had people knocking on my door. We had beautiful houses before but they are being messed up.

“I can see there being some massive issues in a few years time unless something is done.”

She said the scheme was a good idea, but claimed her house was crumbling.

She said: “It has got to stop.”

Her neighbour, Ronni Bickley, said her bathroom flooded shortly after her home was pebbledashed because her drains were left uncovered at the time.

She added: “The scaffolding has just come down after work started in January and I think my house was nicer before. It just looks shabby now.

“It has been a bit of a nightmare to be honest.”

Stuart Howitt, of Myrtle Road, said he was putting right work carried out at his house four months ago after a catalogue of concerns.

He said: “I was one of the first ones to sign up and it has just been appalling, there isn’t another word to describe it.

“The mess that has been left is just unbelievable.

“They just don’t seem to realise they are in homes and not on a building site.”

Neighbours are due to have a meeting on Sunday to discuss the problems, while councillors have been contacted in a bid to resolve the issues.

The firm has admitted it is aware of 14 complaints in respect of works undertaken, of which four have been resolved and 10 remain outstanding.

A Lawtech spokesman said: “Our target is for 100% customer satisfaction, and we fully appreciate that this has not been achieved to date on this project.

“We have, however, taken significant steps in recent weeks to address the issues and concerns of residents, and are working closely with the Warmer Streets project team to ensure that these issues do not recur.”

The spokesman said work on new homes had been suspended to deal with issues that had been raised, adding the company was not “complacent” in the matter.

A Dartford council spokeswoman added: “Dartford Borough Council’s Warmer Streets team is aware of the issues that have been raised by some residents and are working with Lawtech to improve their quality control and ensure that customers are happy with the standard of work that has been carried out.”