Home Insulation and Energy Systems (HIES)

The Home Insulation and Energy Systems Contractors Scheme (HIES) is a consumer protection organisation covering the installation of renewable energy products.

Any products installed by HIES members must be fit for purpose, installed professionally and come with comprehensive guarantees which are covered by specialist insurance providing consumers with a high level of protection.

HIES also believes that consumers should have free access to mediation, independent inspections to assist with installation or product malfunctions (at HIES discretion) and an independent Ombudsman to help resolve any issues that may arise. The Schemes ambassador is George Clarke (accomplished Architect, TV Presenter and home improvement champion).

SEARCH : Find a HIES Approved Installer

CERTIFIED

Approved Code of Practice

This is to certify that the published Consumer Code of Practice of the HIES Quality Assured Contractors Scheme was officially granted APPROVED CODE status in 2015. Since then, the relevant provisions, processes and procedures have been continuously monitored and regularly audited by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) - the representative body of the UK Trading Standards profession, since 1881, and one of the primary Government-endorsed consumer protection bodies in the United Kingdom - operating on behalf of the Approved Code Scheme (see Code Audit Record, below).

Approved Code Registry :

Code Sector	Homes and Property: Renewable Energy
Code of Practice	Click here to view (pdf opens in new tab)
Year of Approval	2015
Members	350+
Last Audited	2024
Code Audit Record	HIES Audit 2024 (pdf opens in new tab)

More about Home Insulation and Energy Systems (HIES)

VERIFY A COMPANY : If you want to check that a business displaying the Approved Code Scheme logo is genuinely a member of the scheme, please enter their details in the search box at the top of the page (or use the main search box on the Homepage).

The HIES Code of Practice

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HIES Consumer Code (HIES) is a consumer protection organisation covering the installation of renewable energy and home energy efficiency products. HIES’ ethos is to protect consumers and raise standards within the renewable energy industry, with support for both members and consumers.

The aim of the HIES’ Code of Practice is to reduce consumer detriment and covers many areas, which include how to market to consumers, deal with vulnerable consumers, provide clear pre-contractual information and how a HIES member should interact with a consumer.

Read The HIES Code of Practice

Why is a Code of Practice so essential in this Sector?

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The HIES Code of Practice is a crucial framework in the renewable energy sector, designed to mitigate consumer detriment and enhance the overall consumer experience. By offering high standards of consumer protection, consumers can have the confidence to install renewable products in their own homes. This Code of Practice will ensure that consumers are treated fairly and, in turn, will promote the sector.

Summary of the HIES Code of Practice

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This Code of Practice sets out the required standards of conduct by members. It focusses on the relationship between members and consumers in installations for domestic purposes.

Member Behaviour

Scheme members must make consumers aware of the scheme
Scheme members must act with professional integrity at all times
Scheme members must treat consumers fairly and with respect
Scheme members must be honest and truthful about the products and services they supply
Scheme members must respect each consumer’s home
Scheme members must identify consumers with additional needs and provide appropriate support
Scheme members must not make misleading or unjustified energy performance claims connected with any home insulation, energy generating, energy storing, or energy saving installations.

Documentation

Scheme members must provide clear information to allow a consumer to make an informed decision
Scheme members must provide consumers with a right to change their mind and cancel their contract unless the installation is in response to an emergency situation
Scheme members must be clear about the consequences of changing their mind at different stages
Scheme members must provide any refunds due to the consumer within 14 days.

Installation

Scheme members must exercise reasonable care and skill when installing products
Scheme members must ensure that installations comply with all current legislation, building regulations, electrical or gas safety requirements, relevant British or International Standards or industry-accepted guidance notes
Scheme members and any contractors they use must be suitably qualified and/or certified to undertake the installation and ensure they are safely installed
Scheme members must carry out works to a high standard ensuring that products are fit for purpose.

Protection

Scheme members must not take deposits or staged payments exceeding 25% of the total contract value or £5,000, whichever is the lesser
Scheme members must provide a Workmanship Guarantee, which must provide a minimum of two years cover and not contain any unfair terms
Scheme members must protect consumers’ deposits and guarantees.

Complaint Handling

Scheme members must make sure that consumers are provided with effective and appropriate customer service
Scheme members must provide a non-premium rate contact telephone number for any consumers wishing to make a complaint or make a service call
Scheme members must provide every customer or prospective customer, on request a document detailing the Complaints Process
Where a Scheme member’s complaints procedure has been exhausted, the member must provide the consumer with the name, contact details and website address of its nominated Alterative Dispute Resolution body.

Read The HIES Code of Practice

What types of businesses are Members of HIES?

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Members of HIES are renewable energy installation companies. All HIES members have gone through a strict accreditation process before joining the network of installers. The members are subject to regular vetting to ensure adherence to HIES’ scheme rules and Code of Practice.

How are businesses vetted - before and after joining?

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HIES’ Accreditation team carry out a variety of checks of an applicant. These include checks on the:

Company and director background
Competency and qualifications
Accreditations and MCS / Flexi-Orb membership
Contractual paperwork and terms
Insurance
Workmanship guarantees
Complaint handling procedures

If an applicant does not meet the HIES minimum accreditation criteria, they may be rejected or the applicant may request a decision to be referred to the Independent Applications Panel as per the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the current Code Sponsors and the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI).

The auditing function ensures that members are complying with the Scheme Rules and Code of Practice. The HIES audits are risk-based and range from desktop to onsite audits.

What happens if a business breaks the Code of Practice?

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If one of the HIES members breaks the Code of Practice, they take thorough action to address the issue. They will reach out to the member in question for further information and conduct a review of the business. If a member is found to be non-compliant, they work closely with them to resolve the concern whenever possible and if necessary take disciplinary action.

Disputes and Complaints

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As a consumer, if you ever enter into a dispute with a business that is a member of the HIES Quality Assured Contractors Scheme, the business must offer you Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). This is a simpler, cheaper and faster alternative to going to Court. And the adjudications of the independent ADR body are binding on the business (although you are still free to go to Court afterwards).

Offering customers ADR is a mandatory and non-negotiable requirement for membership of the Approved Code Scheme - ensuring that only the best, most customer-centric businesses remain in the scheme. It also acts as a powerful incentive for any member business to treat you with respect, courtesy and fairness, at all times.

HIES' Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) :

Independent ADR Body	Dispute Resolution Ombudsman
Website	www.disputeresolutionombudsman.org
Email address	info@disputeresolutionombudsman.org
NOTES

Complain about a HIES Member business

If you feel you have been mistreated by a business that is a member of the Approved Code Scheme, there are steps you can take. In the first instance, please reach out to them - explaining the nature of your complaint in clear and unambiguous language, and mentioning that you are aware of their membership of the HIES Quality Assured Contractors Scheme and the Approved Code Scheme. In most cases, this approach will ensure your complaint receives proper attention - and, ideally, a resolution will be forthcoming. If you are not happy with the result, they must offer you Alternative Dispute Resolution, or you can request it.

Only if this approach fails to bear fruit should you contact HIES, or their nominated ADR body (see their contact details, above) - who will then do their best to help you resolve your dispute with the business.

HIES's Advice :

We aspire to deliver industry leading dispute resolution services for consumers and members of our schemes. To reduce consumer detriment, HIES provides a single point of contact for consumer complaints. We know from experience that complaints handling is critical to the development of the renewable sector.

If customers have a dispute with a HIES member, they should first write to the member giving them reasonable opportunity to resolve the complaint. If the consumer receives the company’s final position on the complaint and the consumer remains unhappy or the complaint remains unresolved, then the consumer can access our mediation service.

In mediation, our mediators will try to resolve the dispute. Should a dispute not be resolved in 1st stage mediation, it would be escalated to 2nd stage where the process becomes more formal.

If the dispute remains unresolved in 2nd stage mediation, then the consumer may be referred to the Ombudsman to settle disputes without incurring legal costs. The Ombudsman’s decision is binding on the member.

For more information, visit the HIES Scheme website.

Complain about Home Insulation and Energy Systems (HIES)

In the interests of complete transparency and fairhandedness, if you represent a business and would like to complain about the way that the HIES operates as part of the Approved Code Scheme, please contact us at : ccab@tsi.org.uk.

If a business is not happy with HIES' conduct, they would direct a business to their formal complaints procedure to ensure their concerns are properly addressed.

Organisation Information

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Code Sponsor Name	Home Insulation and Energy Systems (HIES)
Website	www.hiesscheme.org.uk
Contact Number	0344 324 5242
Email or Online Form	info@hiesscheme.org.uk
Contact Address	Centurion House, Leyland Business Park, Centurion Way, Farington, Leyland, PR25 3GR

Corporate Details (from Companies House) :

Registered Name	THE INTEGRITY FOUNDATION
Company Reg. No.	07972075
Established	2012
Reg. Address	Centurion House Leyland Business Park, Centurion Way, Farington, Leyland, England, PR25 3GR

Return to the Approved Code Directory

PLEASE NOTE : We recently changed the consumer-facing name of the scheme from the Consumer Codes Approval Scheme (CCAS) to the Approved Code Scheme. However, some of our publicity and contractual materials (produced before June 2024) may still include references to the original name. Until we have adapted everything, both names remain valid - and we apologise for any confusion.