logo for Energy Perfomance Certificate (EPC) from qualified Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA)in Birmingham and the West Midlands

© CLECOM Software Ltd. 2008
EPC from a Birmingham DEA

GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR THE PROVISION OF DOMESTIC ENERGY ASSESSMENTS AND ENERGY PERFORMANCE CERTIFICATES


1. These terms and conditions apply to the provision of Energy Performance Certificates and related services by CLECOM Software Ltd, trading as SoEfficient, and form part of the contract for provision of such services between SoEfficient and the Client.

2. “The client” is defined as the person or organisation who has commissioned SoEfficient to carry out a Domestic Energy Assessment on a property. “The assessor” is defined as a fully qualified and accredited Domestic Energy Assessor directed by SoEfficient to carry out a Domestic Energy Assessment (“the assessment”) on the property. The assessor will hold either a Dip. DEA or Dip. HI qualification and will be a member of a Government approved Accreditation Scheme.

3. The assessment will take place at an agreed time and date confirmed by writing before the assessment. An assessment will typically last around 45 minutes, though some properties may take longer. If the assessor can not keep a pre-arranged appointment they will contact the client at the earliest opportunity. If necessary a new appointment will be arranged at no extra cost to the client.

4. If the client wishes to cancel or reschedule the appointment then at least 24 hours notice must be given. If notice is not received in time then the client may be charged for the missed appointment.

5. The assessment will be carried out subject to a pre-arranged fee, to be confirmed in writing before the inspection. If it is discovered that the information on which this quote is based is incorrect then the assessment shall be halted and the client informed. If the client agrees to a new quote then the assessment shall continue. If the client does not agree, or cannot be contacted, then the assessment shall be terminated and the client liable for the cost of the cancelled appointment.

6. Once the assessment has been completed an Energy Performance Certificate will be created and registered on the national Landmark database. Unless agreed otherwise, the client will then be sent an invoice for all due charges and the EPC issued on payment of the invoice. The EPC should reach the client within 3 working days of payment being received or as soon as is reasonably practicable. Alternatively, the Unique Property Reference Number may be made available to the client (or their agents, so that they may retrieve the certificate from the central register.

7. The purpose of the assessment is to provide an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for the property. The EPC will contain certain general suggestions to improve the energy efficiency of the property, and the assessor may give general advice where appropriate. The assessor cannot make any specific recommendations regarding any particular product or service provider. The assessor has a duty to ensure that any such suggestions on the EPC are suitable for the property, but is not liable for situation arising from the client acting on suggestions included on the EPC

8. The EPC is produced for the sole use of the client. The assessor has no duty of care to anyone other than the client or those who rely upon the information provided.

9. The inspection is purely visual. Features of the property can only be considered where direct confirmation of their presence can be verified. The EPC will be produced using the RdSAP methodology, so the assessment can only take into account such features as are modelled under that methodology at the present time.

10. The assessment requires full access to both the interior and exterior of the house for the purposes of measurement and inspection. In particular, access is required to both the front and rear of the house, the boiler and the water cylinder, if present. It is the client’s responsibility to make sure that the assessor has access to all necessary areas of the house. If the necessary access is unavailable the assessment may be called off and rearranged, with costs being met by the client. The assessor holds no responsibility if access is not made available to part of the property that is later shown to have features which might have affected the properties Energy Efficiency Rating.

11. The client may be issued with a questionnaire prior to the assessment. This questionnaire is intended to give the client an opportunity to provide the assessor with certain details regarding the property that may affect the Energy Efficiency Rating. The assessor may rely on the information provided to aid in producing the EPC, but is not bound by it. If incorrect information is supplied by the client then the assessor is not responsible for any affect this has on the Energy Efficiency Rating, except where the assessor might reasonably be expected to have realised that the information is incorrect at the time of the assessment and made their own inspection.

The client is responsible for providing the assessor with any information regarding special or unusual features of the property, for instance if the property is listed or contains an unusual heating system. If the assessor finds on arrival or during an assessment that the construction, heating system or any other feature of the house is of a type of which the assessor has insufficient specialist knowledge and this information was not supplied beforehand then the assessor may cancel the assessment and the client may be charged for the cancelled appointment.

12. The client is responsible for ensuring, as far as is reasonably practicable, that the property represents a safe working environment for the assessor. The client shall make the assessor aware in advance of any particular risks at the property, including the presence of any minors, vulnerable adults or pets. If the assessor feels that their safety may be compromised during inspection of some area of the property then they may treat that area as non-accessible for the purposes of the assessment, with all that is implied under clause 10. One instance in which this might happen is if loft access is blocked by furniture or other items, making it unsafe to climb a ladder to the loft hatch.

The client is responsible for exercising due control over any pets and minors during the inspection.

13. The assessor is not responsible for any loss, damage or injury caused at the property unless this can be shown to have been caused by negligence or malicious intent on the part of the assessor. The security of the property and its contents before, during and after the assessment lies with the client unless agreed otherwise.

14. In the event of a client wishing to make a complaint regarding the service received, a formal complaints procedure will be made available to the client upon request. In the first instance, complaints about an assessor should be made to SoEfficient so that the matter can be investigated. If this fails to resolve the dispute then details of the assessors’ accreditation scheme’s formal complaints procedure shall be made available. Following the formal complaints procedure will not affect the client’s legal rights.

15. Where conflict arises between these general terms and conditions and any specific terms and conditions relating to a particular assessment, the specific terms and conditions prevail.