Based on resolver's experience to date, when you sign a boiler installation plan, you make a contract with the boiler installation company. The contract has terms and conditions, setting out your rights and the things that you and the provider have agreed to do. If you feel that some terms of the contract are unfair, you can either challenge the unfair elements, or you can cancel the contract.
If you signed a contract for a new boiler installation in your home or workplace, it is covered under the Cancellation of Contracts made in a Consumer’s Home or Place of Work Regulations 2008. This gives you the right to cancel the installation within seven days of signing the contract.
However, if you made the contract at the traders’ place of business, you have no automatic right to cancel. In this case, you need to check whether or not the company will allow you to cancel the contract and if you would forfeit any money.
If the boiler installation is part of a Green Deal Plan, it is covered by the Consumer Credit Act, which allows you to cancel the credit agreement at any time before you sign the agreement or within 14 days of signing it. Often, it will be easier to cancel the contract than to attempt to complain about the unclear contract terms.
Challenging the contract can be a difficult process, but resolver can assist you in doing so. The Law Commission and the Scottish Law Commission are proposing legal reforms to protect consumers from unfair terms and make it easier to challenge contracts where total costs are not made clear upfront. This will not come into full force until 2014.
Resolver recommends that you submit your concern in writing and we can assist you in all aspects of your complaint; formulating letters, recording dialogues, and reminding you when and who to escalate to.
Remember that this is a good time to check that you are on the best energy tariff for your needs using a price comparison website, so it’s a good idea to take some time to compare prices and switch providers if you find a better deal. As you are moving into a new home you may not have the full details for the energy use in the home so resolver recommends you ask the current owner/occupier for the energy usage via your solicitor or the estate agent.
Price comparison websites often have tools that help you estimate your energy usage and to help you make an informed decision.
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