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Dear Which?,
Two years ago, I bought a heat pump from Octopus Energy and before any work was carried out, I signed a document with an installation readiness checklist.
During a phone call with Octopus, I was advised to board and insulate my loft and install permanent loft lighting to make it more likely to pass the Octopus survey.
On it, I agreed to prepare my loft, radiators and areas where the installation would take place, as well as have a five-metre trench dug in my garden. It cost me an additional £1,250, which I paid to an Octopus-approved contractor.
However, after Octopus evaluated the suitability of my home for a heat pump through four property surveys, I was told that the installation couldn’t take place due to it being unworkable and dangerous.
What’s worse is that the trench dug in my garden caused structural damage to a drain, which then needed to be fixed. My dog was also terminally ill at the planned time of the installation, so I had to pay for them to use temporary accommodation.
The trench is overgrown and ruining my garden, and I still haven’t got my £500 deposit back.
Can you help?
Stevie Wolfe
Put to Rights
Tali Ramsey, Which? consumer rights expert, says:
Two years is a very long wait for this work to be completed, and you wouldn’t expect it to have been this complicated.
I contacted Octopus about your situation, and it told me that your experience had fallen short of the standards it expects.
Octopus apologised for the frustration and disruption caused and said your installation was more complex than usual, and after a number of early hiccups, the process stalled at a point where the preparatory trench had already been dug.
Octopus will now personally manage the remainder of the installation, with senior oversight throughout, and will compensate you for the costs and inconvenience you’ve experienced so far.
Need to knowUnder the Consumer Rights Act, services must be performed with reasonable care and skill, and you should expect information that’s spoken or written to be binding. If you believe the contract has been broken, or your rights were breached after buying a service, complain by contacting the supplier, providing as much evidence as you can. For disputes about home energy products, you can escalate a complaint to the Home Insulation and Energy Systems Quality Assured Contractors Scheme (HIES) – a free consumer protection organisation covering renewable energy and home energy efficiency products. You must first complain to your energy service provider before you appeal to HIES.Read our guide on how heat pumps work.
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