Procurement for energy efficiency upgrades

In some situations, you may not be responsible for selecting the products to be used as this may be down to the installer you have chosen. However, to check that they are installing the best product for you, so it is important to ask about:

• Company name and number.

• How long has the product been in the marketplace?

• How long has the product supplier been trading?

• Is the product endorsed by professional body?

• What is the life expectancy of the product?

• Does the product have a warranty and how long is it?

• How does the energy efficiency savings of the product to compare to others?

• Where else have they installed the product? Can they give you details of previous clients? It is worth talking to previous clients if the product is new to the market or is not commonly installed. Do not rely on internet reviews, as these may not be accurate.

• If product supplier is also the installer, do they provide any warranties for their work?

• Is there a service contract available for the product?

• What qualifications do they have?

• Are they competent to carry out the works?

• What experience do they have?

• Are they certified and registered with a trade body?

• Which professional bodies are they accredited with to carry out works. For example, are they registered as a gas engineer or electrician? Ask for proof of qualifications and check with the trade associations/certification body. As some traders may fraudulently claim membership. Also note that being a member of these groups does not guarantee workmanship; it is still essential to get further references from previous clients.

• Ask for their details, company/business name and number. How long have they been working or trading as a sole practitioner, company or part of a business?

• Ask for references, contact details of previous clients and speak to them in person.

• How long it will take for the work to be done?

• Do they carry out the work themselves? Make sure they are not selling the job on.

• Their availability to carry out the work.

• What guarantees or after care to do they provide for their work?

• If your building professional is supplying the products for the work, you will need to check with them about how these are sourced and ask questions as you would for products (see above).

• Be sure you know what is included and excluded, to avoid hidden costs, things that were not included in the quote

• What happens if there are delays to the start of the work -client or professional?

• Could the weather impact the work programme?

• What happens if there is programme slippage or delays

• First check companies house for their business status.

• Check trade associations to make sure they are registered as they claim.

• When looking for recommendations and references the internet can be a starting place, but they are not always reliable.

• It is important to speak to previous clients if possible and even view the work where you can.

• When speaking to previous clients ask them:

  • When the work was carried out

  • About the quality of work, products, workmanship, courtesy and time keeping

  • About timing of the work – any slippage

  • Any hidden costs or additional costs

  • Would they use this supplier and product again?

• What insurance does the supplier have if anything goes wrong? This could be indemnity insurance, public liability insurance for contractors, or for employers' liability insurance for contractors that work through a company.

• Check if there are other insurances out there for the specific circumstances, get advice. For example, does your building contractor have Contractors’ all risk cover, to cover the cost of replacing new work that is destroyed before it is completed, or do you need your insurance to cover it.

• Consult with your own insurance provider to find out if any special measures need to be in place before the work is started.

• Also ensure you understand what guarantees the installer provides for:

  • The materials and equipment, who provides this the product supplier or installer

  • Workmanship

• What happens if you change your mind about products or the scope of the work?

• What happens if installer can’t source the materials specified or the supply cost of these increases?

• What happens if the supplier discovers unforeseen problems with carrying out the work/s for example, with the building?

• What happens if it takes longer to obtain building permissions, or materials?

• How do you/they manage disruption to running of the care home, phasing of the work and implications of this?

• Is the project notifiable to the Health and Safety Executive? And who is responsible for Construction Design and Management (CDM) risks?

A quote provides a cost for work, this can be written or verbal.

When you agree a quote (even verbally) and give the go ahead for the work it becomes a contract, so make sure you have it in writing before you agree to any works. A traditional contract is essentially a more legally detailed document used by registered professionals or for more complex works. Make sure the type of contract used is suitable for your care home business. It is very important to read and understand all the terms and conditions that are placed within the quote or contract before agreeing it.

You should check your quote or contract and makes sure it has:

• Full details of business/company name and full contact details with company registration and VAT numbers if applicable

• Your care home business details with the name of main contact

• Full breakdown of the works and what is included, for example, if the contract covers the removal of rubbish/clear up/skips/scaffolding etc. For a contract this will require an itemised description of the works.

• The start and finish dates of the specified works, for a larger contract this should include a timetable for supplying goods and doing the work.

• Information over what will happen if there are delays or unforeseen events. How will these be dealt with (for contract variations, there should agreement over the potential cost of these and how these will be dealt with).

• Details on how you are given receipts for any building purchases

• Information about any extra charges and if these are included or excluded, for example, delivery costs, licences permissions etc.

• A total price for the works

• The payment stages and terms are listed as well as any deposits required

• Any guarantee/warrantees provided for work and after completion listed

• Business terms and conditions

• Your rights if you change your mind or want to cancel the works (contracts)

• Any other conditions the contract might be dependent on for example, a planning permission or a grant application).