HETAS is the official body recognised by government to approve biomass and solid fuel domestic heating appliances, fuels and services, including the registration of competent installers and servicing businesses.
Customers using a HETAS registered installer in England and Wales will be given a HETAS Certificate of Compliance (Building Regulation Compliance Certificate) by the installer on the completion of installation work or through the post if the installer notifies the installation online. This is of vital importance in demonstrating that the installation was carried out by a competent installer working for a HETAS registered business and complies with the relevant Building Regulations.
The information on the certificate is used to record your installation, and in England & Wales it is used to notify your Local Authority Building Control Department (LABC) of the work that was undertaken. This ‘self certification’ by competent registered installers takes the place of a Local Authority Building Notice which could cost you a significant amount of money, this can vary by region and the cost of the work being carried out.
The HETAS installer is charged a small fee by HETAS for this service, but much less than the charges incurred if you seek a Building Notice via the Local Authority. The information can be required to validate household insurance and will be required by Solicitors in any home selling process. Failure to notify the Local Authority can be an offence resulting in enforcement action being taken against the Householders and/or the installer; this could cost anything up to £5000. Regulations and certification vary by regions, consumers in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and Isle of Man should contact their relevant Local Authority prior to commencing any installation work as HETAS installers cannot self-certificate their work in these regions.
The HETAS Certificate of Compliance (Building Regulation Compliance Certificate) must be completed and signed only by the HETAS registered installer who undertook the work. The white copy of the fully completed and signed Certificate must be returned to HETAS at the address shown at the bottom of the Certificate within 7 days of the completion date of the works. HETAS will then process the information provided on the Certificate for submission to the relevant Local Authority within 30 days of the completion of the works as required by the Building Regulations (a legal requirement). When the HETAS Registered Installer notifies an installation online a HETAS Certificate of Compliance (Building Regulation Compliance Certificate) will be posted directly to the householder via HETAS.
If the Building Regulation Compliance Certificate is not provided, is not completed correctly or the Certificate is returned late then there will be no notification of the work to the Local Authority by HETAS. This would in fact mean that the law has not been complied with and can cause difficulties when selling a property and potentially void a household insurance policy. If you have not received a Building Regulation Compliance Certificate within a period of 30 days following an installation, please follow the HETAS Complaints Policy.
Where a hearth, fireplace, flue or chimney is provided as part of the work information essential to the correct application and use of these facilities should be permanently posted in the building. A way of meeting this requirement is for the installer to provide a Notice (or Data) plate. In addition customers should also receive an operating manual for the appliance that has been installed. Many operating manuals for HETAS-approved appliances can be found on the HETAS website.
Consumers using a HETAS registered installer:
- can be safe in the knowledge that their installer has been trained and assessed to carry out compliant work;
- will save both time and money and ensure your appliance works safely and efficiently;
- receive a certificate of compliance for the installation; and
- have the ability to choose a range of installations covered by the scheme including biomass boiler systems, dry appliances, appliances with boilers, hot water and heating systems along with re-lining chimneys.