Home Energy Assessment & Plan Terms & Conditions
GENERAL
1. The Service
The Service is the Home Energy Assessment & Plan (“Service”) laid out in part
2 of this document.
2. The Consultants
The Consultants who provide the Service will be competent persons who have
sufficient knowledge and are suitably qualified to carry out and provide the
Service.
3. Limitations of the Service
The term “Home Energy Assessment/Survey” referred to in these terms is not a
Building Survey. Though a condition report is undertaken as part of the PAS 2035
process and thus the Home Assessment, the Plan will not report on the condition of
the fabric or structure of the building being surveyed or provide options
to the client for remediation for any identified defects. If you require a
‘Building Survey’ it is advised that a Member of the Royal Institution of
Chartered Surveyors (RICS), who is competent to survey, value and report upon the
property, is engaged.
The Home Assessment & Plan does not include a Heat Loss Survey or
Thermographic Assessment. However, these activities can be incorporated as part of
a
Home Assessment & Plan upon request by the client or as an additional bolt-on
service for an additional fee, subject to supplier availability.
Unforeseen Building Structures/Incorrect Data
The success of the Service is contingent on the assessment/survey data and
findings, and client input. When it is not feasible to get access to a part of the
property, assumptions will be made on the construction of the inaccessible
portions based on the Consultant's expertise and experience as well as
client-provided information. No liability is accepted for any assumptions made or
client-supplied information.
4. Payment Terms
The client agrees to pay the agreed-upon fee for the service and any additional
charges. The Home Assessment & Plan cost must be paid in advance of the
Service. It is possible that the survey was conducted on short notice at the
client's request, and the fee was not paid in advance. In this instance,
payment must be paid within 10 days following the assessment/survey, and the Plan
will not be released until payment has been received. Upon payment, the
Plan will be issued.
In accordance with the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act of 1998,
we have the right to impose interest on invoices not paid within 15 days, at
a daily simple interest rate of 8% per year + the Bank of England's reference
rate. The late payment charge is only applicable if the fee is not paid in
advance of the home assessment/survey.
4.1 Reclassification of Price Band
While we make every effort to get your quote right, we reserve the right to
adjust your property up or down a price band.
We use three tiers of pricing, small, medium and large. We categorise homes based
on the number of bedrooms: 1-2 being small, 3-4 being medium and 5+ being large.
This keeps things simple, but sometimes it doesn't quite work, particularly if
your home is large but has few bedrooms. We will always contact you before we
make any changes to your quote.
5. Cancellations.
The client may cancel this contract by alerting the Consultant's office at
least 1 full bank working day prior to the home assessment/survey, i.e. if a
survey is scheduled for Monday, the cancellation must be received in a timely
manner by Friday. We have the right to charge £100 for cancellations within 1
working day of the date of the survey to cover Consultant time and costs.
In the event of cancellation by the Consultant, an alternative date or full
refund will be offered. If cancellation occurs due to symptoms of COVID-19, a new
date for the survey will be arranged.
In rare circumstances, the Consultant will not continue with the provision of the
Service (and will promptly notify the client) if, upon arrival at the
property site, the Consultant determines that they
possess inadequate expertise to offer the Service competently for the type of
building or construction. In this circumstance, an additional Survey will be
offered to the client.
6. Liability
The Plan is entirely for the client's use, and no responsibility is assumed
for anybody else or for any other intended use other than to inform the
client of the options for a property. We are not responsible for any design or
installation work conducted based on the guidance provided in the Plan
documents or the online dashboard.
7. Complaints
The client should contact Furbnow Customer Service at hello@furbnow.com should they wish to make a complaint. If further escalation is required to reach a resolution, the CEO, Becky Lane, will preside over the Dispute Resolution Procedure to reach a resolution.
8. Money Back Guarantee
8.1 Eligibility for Refund
The client is entitled to a full refund of the Home Energy Assessment & Plan fee if:
a) The survey and analysis fails to identify any viable energy efficiency improvements for the property
b) We are unable to provide clear, actionable recommendations for starting your energy efficiency journey
c) The survey reveals that your property is already optimised for energy efficiency and no meaningful improvements can be recommended
d) We are unable to provide estimated costs and potential energy savings for at least one recommended improvement
e) Our surveyor fails to identify major structural issues that would make our recommended improvements unsuitable or impossible
f) We provide recommendations that directly conflict with local planning restrictions or listed building status that were disclosed prior to the survey
g) We fail to provide alternative options when your preferred improvement isn't feasible
h) The Home Energy Plan doesn't include a clear phasing plan for implementing improvements over time
8.2 Exclusions
The Money Back Guarantee does not apply in the following circumstances:
a) Minor delays or scheduling adjustments to the assessment/survey appointment
b) Disagreement with the recommended improvements when these are based on professional assessment and industry standards
c) Changes in your circumstances or preferences after receiving the Home Energy Plan
d) Recommendations that you decide are outside your current budget
e) Change of mind about wanting to improve your home's energy efficiency after receiving the Plan
f) Inability to proceed with improvements due to factors outside our control
g) Request for refund solely because the estimated costs of improvements are higher than expected
h) Failure to provide essential information needed to complete the assessment
i) When recommendations don't align with aesthetic preferences, despite being technically appropriate for your property
j) Non-compliance with conditions outlined in Section B1 regarding access and safety requirements
8.3 Claim Process
To claim a refund under this guarantee, the client must:
a) Submit their claim in writing to hello@furbnow.com within 14 days of receiving their Home Energy Plan
b) Clearly state which of the conditions in Section 8.1 applies to their claim
c) Provide supporting information to substantiate their claim
8.4 Resolution
All refund claims will be reviewed within 5 working days of receipt. If approved, the refund will be processed using the original payment method within 10 working days.
Independence
Furbnow is financially autonomous from suppliers and manufacturers. In general,
the Plan documentation or dashboard does not feature or promote any
specific brand names.
Part 2: DESCRIPTION OF THE SERVICE
A The Service
A1
The Home Assessment & Plan Service comprises:
- Home Assessment/Survey of the property (Section B)
- Plan based on the Home Assessment/Survey (Section C)
A2
The primary purpose of the Consultant in providing the Service is to provide the
client with a holistic plan outlining a pathway to attaining
environmental or energy efficiency improvements by enhancing the property by:
- Identifying areas of the property where substantial improvements may be made to
minimise energy costs and CO2 emissions through the use of energy-saving
systems and equipment, such as the installation of insulation, heating, and
energy-generating equipment.
- Providing advice on the most recent (usually unbranded) systems and materials
available on the market, as well as the provision of indicative cost of
installation.
- Recognising the client's priorities by the recommendation and ranking of
options or alternatives that are appropriate to the client's needs to
support the client in making a decision for the efficiency improvements at the
property.
B The Home Assessment/Survey
B1
The Home Assessment/Survey is a comprehensive examination of the accessible
portions of the Property. Access is described as being visible and easily
attainable for investigation from ground and floor levels, without danger of
property damage or Consultant injury.
During the Home Assessment/Survey, safety, due diligence, and the limitations of
being a visitor to the property (which may be occupied) are deployed
with due care and attention. Hence, no furniture, floor coverings, or other items
should be expected to be moved or lifted by the Consultant. Prior to
the Home Assessment/Survey, the client may offer inspection holes etc. in
different areas of their home at their own risk, such as removing recessed
lighting to enable view behind, cutting sections of plasterboard out of sloping
ceilings or roofs, and lifting floorboards. Further, a loft or attic
hatch without safe access or a ladder by the discretion of the Consultant may not
be physically examined, and therefore, an assumption of the existing
insulation will be made in lieu.
B2
The building services of the property are examined (public areas outside the
property are excluded in the case of apartments), and an evaluation of the
in situ heating system and the efficiency of the annual electric usage are
undertaken for the property.
B3
Where required, portions of the Home Assessment/Survey are conducted on
surrounding public land. Recreational amenities and outbuildings are excluded
from the Home Assessment/Survey. Clients who desire an examination of several
structures may contact Furbnow to discuss alternative service options for
this requirement.
B4
The following, whilst not required, should be made available on the agreed date
of the survey to be most effective:
Access to loft or other roof voids (if applicable).
Access to the boiler systems and other major components of the heating system
(tanks, timers, valves etc)
Access to the annual consumption or estimated consumption kWh of energy usage for
the property via documentation of a recent energy bill.
C The Plan
C1
The plan will provide the client with adequate information to make well-informed
judgments on the future utilisation of their property, the installation
of energy-efficient heating and electrical systems, and the application of
insulation to minimise energy consumption and CO2 emissions, where feasible
and appropriate to the Consultant's discretion. The Plan will outline and
identify:
Suitable renewable technology/microgeneration as well as estimations of their
potential savings and revenues.
Recommendations for the property that will save money on a variety of
charges.
While there are a number of possible interventions, the Consultant will utilise
their discretion and client-specific information and or priorities to
assess a limited number of suitable measures for the particular scenario and
context.
All examined interventions should not be seen as recommendations; in fact,
certain measures may be reviewed to demonstrate that they are suboptimal or,
in some cases, harmful in terms of cost or CO2 emissions.
If any major measure(s) are considered to have been excluded and are capable of
being reviewed by the Consultant and our energy modelling software, they
will be examined at no additional expense to the client. If the major measure in
question is considered to have a significant influence on the plan, the
plan will be republished and provided to the client. If the measure(s) in question
are minor, they will be provided to the client over email or an
alternative agreed medium.
C2
The Plan is in a format of an online dashboard arranged in the following
sequence:
- Overview
- Problem Areas
- Project Stages
- Buy Plan
The Home Assessment outputs / technical documentation are available to the client
upon request.
C3
Recommendations will be made based on the latest available quantifiable
information, software, and knowledge of materials and systems.
