X-Ray - Series 9 - Episode 1

These days we're all under pressure to save energy and cut the cost of our heating bills - so free or cheap schemes to insulate our homes seem like a great solution. But has the rush to meet green targets and claim grants led to companies cutting corners when they decide if a house is suitable for cavity wall insulation? Residents of Heol Y Garreg Las have complained that their homes are suffering from damp, mildew and crumbling plaster, since the insulation companies came to call. Rachel Treadaway Williams asks whether the companies offering cavity wall insulation are properly assessing the properties before they carry out work, which could cost thousands to repair. And how much do you depend on the plastic in your wallet? Rhodri Owen challenges X-Ray 100 member Helen Williams from Blackwood to live on cash for a month. Helen's a self-confessed shopaholic but with the interest mounting on her store and credit cards, she's agreed to lock them up, stop relying on credit and live on cash. But will her willpower hold out, or will the temptation to spend be too strong to resist? And Lucy Owen's in the garden - finding out how a little horticultural know-how could save us all a packet this summer. She visits the Phillips family from Carmarthen, who pay under 30 pounds a year for their allotment but say the fruit and veg they grow keeps them going all summer.