Heat pumps
Three conditions that can change price: BUS grant ineligibility finding, structural issues with outdoor unit siting, electrical supply incapacity. Full list in the heat pump quote.
Our pricing commitment
What we quote is what your invoice says.
Most installers won't put this in writing. We will, because the commitment only holds if we've staked our reputation on it.
The promise
Five things we commit to, in writing.
1. The price on your quote is the price on your invoice.
No “discovered issues” surcharges for things we could have foreseen in our own survey. No creative interpretations of the scope. The invoice matches the quote.
2. Changes only happen if the survey finds one of five named conditions.
The list is below. Those conditions are listed in your quote plainly, not buried in ten-point terms.
3. If a condition triggers a change, we tell you before any work proceeds.
No “we're already here, might as well do it” pressure conversations. You get a revised quote in writing, with the specific added cost, the specific cause, and your options. That includes walking away with no cost.
4. No fees that aren't in the headline price.
No administration fees. No booking fees. No credit-card processing fees. No documentation fees. No “out of hours” fees unless the install is genuinely booked out of standard working hours.
5. No contingency padding.
We don't inflate quotes with speculative “just-in-case” margins. If the work turns out to take less time than estimated, we don't cut the invoice. But we also don't pad it in the other direction. The price is what we actually expect the work to cost.
The fine print, in large type
The five conditions that can change your boiler quote.
1. Postcode mismatch.
You gave us a postcode at quote time. If the install address turns out to be different, we re-price based on the actual location.
2. Asbestos present in the work area.
Pre-1999 properties may have asbestos in or around flue routes, boiler enclosures, or existing pipework. If our survey finds it, removal is a specialist job: typical cost £350–£1,200, handled by a licensed asbestos contractor.
3. Structural or fire-safety issues with the proposed flue route.
If the survey finds the flue route contravenes current regulations (distances from doors, windows, neighbouring structures), we may need to reroute the flue. Cost typically £200–£500 depending on extent.
4. Gas meter undersized or more than 10 metres from the boiler location.
A standard combi boiler runs fine on most UK gas supplies. If yours is too small or too far from the boiler, a supply upgrade is required: typical cost £400–£800, usually done by your gas network operator (we coordinate).
5. Unreachable or hidden defects in existing pipework requiring more than 2 metres of rerouting.
If lifting the floorboards reveals pipework in such bad condition that more than 2m needs replacing beyond our standard scope, we quote the extra pipework separately at £200–£600.
What the commitment rules out
What we've promised not to do.
- We won't quote low and make it up on install day. A quote that's £500 lower than competitors for the sake of winning the job, then padded on the day, is a pattern we refuse to operate.
- We won't pad quotes with vague contingency. “Additional works as required” isn't a line item you'll see on our quotes.
- We won't invoice items not on the quote without your written agreement. Even if a surveyor notices something we should have caught, we don't invoice for it unless we agree the revised scope with you in writing first.
- We won't use “professional judgement” as cover for undisclosed additions.
The backstop
If we slip.
- We eat the cost of anything we should have identified in our own survey.
- You're never invoiced for changed scope until you've approved the change in writing.
- If we've genuinely failed to honour the commitment, we refund the difference without argument.
Escalation route: anthony@smartenergie.co.uk goes direct to the director, not a support queue.
Beyond boilers
The same standard for every service.
Solar
Two conditions: roof structural concerns found during fixing, DNO application delays for G99-grid connection. Full list in the solar quote.
Insulation
The survey's moisture assessment is itself the gate; if it fails, we don't proceed. No surprise costs.
UFH
One main condition: existing sub-floor or screed incompatibility requiring remedial work.