Absolutely we should do this. Ceredigion MP is our local MP and I will likely inform him too. Although, the Carmarthen MP has visited this company and promoted them as some sort of community heros. Which, once I have placed before him the facts, I am sure he will change his mind. I am hoping that our MP's will bring the subject up in parliament. At least offer small businesses the same protection as domestic customers receive.
Wood biomass dodgy installer help/advice appreciated
- Thread starter Happiness
- Start date
Update. Went to Citizens advice and they recommend contacting the AM of Ceredigion. This is what I did last week, waiting on response but the AM is currently on holiday. Also had info of the Community Interest Companies regulator which might be worth a try seeing as their new company is a CIC. I'll update .
So, I have a meeting with our local AM on 23rd October. Is there anything anyone would like me to pass on regarding their experiences, she will hopefully be discussing it with the welsh environment secretary. The Non accountability with Renewable Energy Consumer Code if members cease their membership is one thing I will pass on. Sheer lack of regulation and protection to small businesses etc. Any feedback I will take it with me.
Hello. Me again. We have exhausted the route with our AM, who was very helpful. The AM wrote to RECC and received a response from Virginia Graham the Chief Executive of RECC. Unfortunately Virginia reiterated their unethical regulatory framework and offered a very vague understanding of our problem. She also advised that we could seek resolution through a solicitor (we have been quoted £28,000) or Trading Standards (We can't use trading standards as it is considered a commercial dispute). So the chief executive of RECCs can't even offer the correct information.
We have since been in touch with the installer who has appeared to 'offer' £4,000 and is hell bent on trying to get us to agree to it via email. We responded with a request for them to admit liability on that basis and to be in touch when they had the £4,000 to hand for us to discuss further.
That was in September of 2017. We had not received a response so I sent another reminder this month and received a response advising they had tried to resolve the issue but we did not respond and then what I can only assume fabricated an email that had been apparently sent to me. I have received every single email those people have ever sent to me, so why not that very convenient email.
I have requested that we go through a process of ADR. I do not believe that this problem can be remedied for £4,000.
The company has been crying wolf for 2 years about how hard up they are and that they are 'trying to survive every day'. They have still managed to open up a CIC and a B&B business during this time. So not that hard up obviously. Does anyone know of individuals experienced in ADR of this nature. We have tried FEC Energy, but unfortunately they have not been responding to my emails on the matter, so I assume it is not something they want to work with.
Thank you for reading, I feel it important to document our experience from start to end, like a journal for other people who may be going through hell. We will keep trudging on.
We have since been in touch with the installer who has appeared to 'offer' £4,000 and is hell bent on trying to get us to agree to it via email. We responded with a request for them to admit liability on that basis and to be in touch when they had the £4,000 to hand for us to discuss further.
That was in September of 2017. We had not received a response so I sent another reminder this month and received a response advising they had tried to resolve the issue but we did not respond and then what I can only assume fabricated an email that had been apparently sent to me. I have received every single email those people have ever sent to me, so why not that very convenient email.
I have requested that we go through a process of ADR. I do not believe that this problem can be remedied for £4,000.
The company has been crying wolf for 2 years about how hard up they are and that they are 'trying to survive every day'. They have still managed to open up a CIC and a B&B business during this time. So not that hard up obviously. Does anyone know of individuals experienced in ADR of this nature. We have tried FEC Energy, but unfortunately they have not been responding to my emails on the matter, so I assume it is not something they want to work with.
Thank you for reading, I feel it important to document our experience from start to end, like a journal for other people who may be going through hell. We will keep trudging on.
- Location
- South Wales UK
Can Small claims Courts or High Court Bailiffs do anything for you maybe ?
What about NFU or CLA on guidance etc.?
What is MCS and or OFGEM's reply to this installation ?
Any other certified bodies there in that they contraveaned maybe ?
What about NFU or CLA on guidance etc.?
What is MCS and or OFGEM's reply to this installation ?
Any other certified bodies there in that they contraveaned maybe ?
Small claims may be a possibility, I believe we would need evidence that the problem can be remedied for £10,000 or less. That may be our next step. We would still need to try a process of Alternative Dispute Resolution before court. Our home insurance solicitor advises that we can only go after the company we entered into contract with, but I would have thought that the directors of the company would have a duty of care with respect to the lack of building regulations and safety issues with the installation.
MCS are of no use as the company has lost their MCS accreditation, the response is a similar one to RECC. As the company no longer hold membership MCS nor RECC can do a thing about it (according to their regulatory framework). Therein lies the loophole..
I haven't involved OFGEM at this stage for fear of losing the RHI that we do receive. We are not with CLA and never have used them, so that might also be another port of call. Thank you Still Farming.
MCS are of no use as the company has lost their MCS accreditation, the response is a similar one to RECC. As the company no longer hold membership MCS nor RECC can do a thing about it (according to their regulatory framework). Therein lies the loophole..
I haven't involved OFGEM at this stage for fear of losing the RHI that we do receive. We are not with CLA and never have used them, so that might also be another port of call. Thank you Still Farming.
akaPABLO01
Member
Did you receive mcs certificates for the 3 properties in order to submit a district heating non domestic rhi subsidy? If so then their insurance should be on that. Contact them and put in your claim.
Before they were chucked of MCS, NAPIT asked them for the details of the insurance and they advised NAPIT they didn't have any. We received one MCS certificate, but they did not take out insurance for our job as they (installer) said they didn't need to due to it being a non domestic RHI. In the insurance section of the certificate it is blank. MCS have advised that they don't actually have to have the insurance for non domestic / commercial installations unless I am mistaken? MCS told us to call RECC to find out who their insurers are. We called RECC about this and they gave the insurance details held for the installer. We then called the insurance company who did not have our job on their system. All of this I assume is completely legal. It seems to be a right free for all.
akaPABLO01
Member
There is a loophole with issuing insurance on an mcs cert where you have an option to tick “to follow” or something similar. I suspect that’s the case. Insurance can be a few hundred on domestic but rapidly increases to thousands on non domestic through recc or heis which do cover non domestic.
However, the install had to be mcs registered, which follows mcs standard procedure. Contact mcs and tell them you wish to file a complaint for compensation from their insurance provider as this is mcs accredited. See what happens with this maybe?
However, the install had to be mcs registered, which follows mcs standard procedure. Contact mcs and tell them you wish to file a complaint for compensation from their insurance provider as this is mcs accredited. See what happens with this maybe?
akaPABLO01
Member
Well, the job has been completed and registered under the MCS practise and guideline, meaning the installer registered this under MCS and this is a certification regulation.
I would contact them and ask for their insurance information and as they regulate the installer press a claim of negligence of regulation stating they aloud an installer to operate your contract without insurance.
Meaning they then should be in fact liable if your contract was not fulfilled.
I would contact them and ask for their insurance information and as they regulate the installer press a claim of negligence of regulation stating they aloud an installer to operate your contract without insurance.
Meaning they then should be in fact liable if your contract was not fulfilled.
Good point. It never crossed my mind as something that could be persued. We will definitely look into this.
As per advice of StillFarming, we also have a meeting arranged with CLA this week so will mention this to them. Thanks so much for this information.
- Location
- South Wales UK
We did ask on the first page about MCS stance on it too !
Thing is when all close in on them they go "bang" and disappear or start up in another name .
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- Location
- South Wales UK
Any progress @Happiness yet !
MCS is a write off obviously due to their regulatory framework not offering protection to commercial installations. Met and joined the CLA, who are putting their heads together. They are suggesting what we thought which is going down a small claims route, but we need to get evidence to show that it can be remedied for £10,000 or less. We have rang a few companies who we never hear back from. They don' t want to touch it with a bargepole. Another route that was suggested was going to HSE ( health and safey executive) as they might do something about it, but I don't know if that will open up a huge can of worms for us and make a bad situation, much worse. I need to find out more info on that and I need to wait on what CLA suggest.
I can highly recommend a pair of heating engineers that would be brilliant at rectifying biomass problems. They installed our system and have been maintaining our as well as rectifying systems from other installers. Based near ammanford.
an
bobajob
Member
- Location
- Sw Scotland
Without opening up a sore wound @Happiness care to give us an update on how things are 1year after your post.
Is it still as poor performing, expensive to run and with not enough heat in your cottages.?
Is it still as poor performing, expensive to run and with not enough heat in your cottages.?
We have been slowly mitigating our losses as and when we have had the financial resources. The main change has been we have installed heating oil back on the farmhouse. This has been a game changer and puts us in a position where both cottages can just about cope with regular fills. We have installed double glazing in the cottages and a device that utiizes unused solar panel electricity to heat the water. The problems we have is that the building regulations certificate was was revoked as the system is not to building regulations. Flue is wrong, no carbon monoxide features, not fitted to manufacturers guidelines, holes in the buildings that are not rodent proof. There are massive heat losses from the system for various reasons, the hot water tank for the cottages is not suitable for the amount of people if the cottages were all fully booked. They fitted a tank suitable for 4 people, but the 2 cottages can accommdate up to 10. Lots of other little things which we will slowly have to change and rectify. An example of heat losses is that we can get the buffer and boiler up to 80 degrees in the evening but come morning the tank is back down to around 30-35 degrees.
bobajob
Member
- Location
- Sw Scotland
Glad to hear your working your way through it and have done some positive things in the past yr.
You deserve a
You deserve a