Before you sign
The best time to understand cancellation is before it matters. A contract for a heat pump installation should say how long you have to cancel, how to do it, and what happens to any deposit. RECC, one of the consumer codes Ofgem lists for the grant, says that in many cases you have 14 days to cancel. Whether that applies to your contract depends on how and where it was made, so read the terms rather than assume.
- Is the cancellation period written in the contract?
- Does it say how to cancel: email, letter, a form?
- Does it say what happens to the deposit if you cancel?
- Does it say what happens if work starts during the cancellation period at your request?
Be wary of being asked to sign on the spot during a first visit. A genuine installer will give you time to read the contract and check the firm.
If you change your mind
- Cancel in writing, using the method the contract gives, and keep a copy.
- Note the date, so you can show you were within the period.
- Ask the installer to confirm the cancellation and what happens to any deposit.
The grant application
If the installer has already applied for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme on your behalf, tell them you are cancelling and ask how the application will be withdrawn. When Ofgem emails you to confirm consent for an application you no longer want, do not confirm it. If you then choose another installer, they will need to make a new application.
Deposits
Within a cancellation period, you would generally expect a deposit back; outside it, the contract decides. This is where deposit protection under the installer's consumer code matters. See deposits and payments, and if a refund is refused, complaints and disputes.
This page explains what to look for; it is not legal advice on a particular contract. For a dispute about a contract, the consumer code's dispute process or Citizens Advice can help.
Cancelling after a survey but before signing
If you have had a survey but not signed a contract, there is usually nothing to cancel: a quote is an offer, not an agreement. If the firm charged for the survey, check what the arrangement said. Either way, asking for the design figures in writing at the survey means the visit is still useful if you go elsewhere.
Keeping proof
Whatever method you use to cancel, keep evidence of when you sent it: a sent email, a recorded delivery receipt or a dated letter. If the cancellation is ever disputed, the date is what matters. Keep it with the contract and any receipts.
Changing your mind about the grant
You might decide to go ahead with the installation but not with a particular installer's grant application, for example if you have found a better quote. Tell the first installer in writing, do not confirm their application when Ofgem emails you, and ask your new installer to apply. Only one application can lead to a grant for a property, so it is worth making sure the first one is withdrawn.
Keeping proof that you cancelled
Cancel in writing, by email or letter, and keep a dated copy. It is enough to send the notice before the cancellation period ends, so an email with a clear date is useful evidence. Say plainly that you are cancelling the contract, give the date you signed and any reference number, and ask the firm to confirm. If you had asked for work to begin during the cancellation period, the firm can charge for what it has already done, so say in the same message whether any work or materials were supplied. Keep the firm's confirmation with the contract, and if a deposit is to be refunded, note when it should arrive.
If the firm disputes your cancellation, or keeps a deposit it should return, the next steps are the same as for any complaint: write to the firm, then go to its consumer code. The complaints and disputes guide sets out the order and what to include, and the code's own website explains how its process works.