Beware of the SEI Home Energy Scheme

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podge3

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I recently applied for a grant under the SEI HomeEnergy Saving Scheme. I chose a contractor from the list that they provided and they send me out the application form with that contractors name on it.

I got the work done and submitted the application form to the SEI. It has just been returned to me because

"The contractor was not actively registered on the HES scheme at the time of signing the DOW. We cannot process the DOW form until the contractor is actively registered on the HES scheme again and shows evidence of compliance with the schemes rules regarding Tax Clearance certificate and insurance cover at all times"

This is a complete joke - I chose the contractor from their list :mad:. I'm now down €500. Does any organ of the government in this sorry country of ours work in a competent fashion?

Be very very wary of this scheme.
 
Did you seek independant confirmation of insurance from the contractor?
 
Insurance is one of the basic things you should look for! Tax compliance is another matter.
 
I agree, but would it not be considered 'in place' as the insurance cert would have to been
submitted to register on the SEI scheme in the first place!

Would SEI not be considered derelict in their 'duty of care' by supplying a list of contractors to choose from without correctly vetting them in the first place.

Have been told that up to 85% of work inspected by SEI after completion has been rejected for failing to comply with setdown criteria!
 
have just been told by few companies scheme "a joke" "greens made a mess of whole thing" etc and if I could get someone to do the attic myself, they will check and pass the work and still allow me take the €650 grant off the cavity wall insulation..........
 
As an SEI approved contractor, I can say the same thing happened a client of ours. Either our tax compliance paperwork had expired or our insurance, (On the SEI systems) we were automatically removed from list. We had all valid requirements but SEI didn't. We were off the list until they received hard copies of those requested documents.

Talk to your contractor, it may just be a misunderstanding.
 
DavyJones said:
Talk to your contractor, it may just be a misunderstanding.
Click to expand...
We also had the humiliation of being taken off the Greener Homes list as contractors because our tax clearance certificates had expired. For a couple of days, our customers had their grant applications returned. Once we got hard copies of our tax clearance certs back into SEI we were on the list again and everyone got their money, but they got a good fright along the way, which is quite inconsiderate.

This isn't good enough. Even if I was tax-dodgy, I don't think that at any stage, our clients were asked to see our tax clearance certificates, and no customer has ever asked me for these. It would seem grossly unfair that someone who appointed a contractor from the list should be penalised because that contractor was subsequently removed. Come back on this if you don't get it ironed out. QG
 
Update on this.

I finally got in touch with the contractor and he said its only a small problem with his insurance. It should be sorted out within a week, he claims.

I'm still a bit skeptical but even if it is sorted out, its a ludicrous system. Once the contractor is approved by the SEI, the householder should be paid once the work is completed in a reasonable amount of time.

Thanks for all the replies and fingers crossed.
 
Anything SE(A)I related is a joke.

I too used a 'registered' contractor for a job, and it was a complete disaster. I know more about heating than he did. Has cost me 1000's to fix. SE(A)I completely washed their hands of any responsibility, despite being mandated to use THEIR list to qualify for a grant.
 
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