Terms & Conditions

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Terms and Conditions

Version 1 – Effective 05/12/22

Section 0: General Terms

0.1 The Company

Any reference to ‘we’, ‘us’ or ‘the company’ within these terms and conditions refers to Innes Eaton Electrical Services Limited.

0.2 The Customer

Any reference to ‘customer’ within these terms and conditions refers to the person or organisation who ordered the work taking place, has accepted an estimate or quotation (whether written or otherwise) from the company and/or who has instructed the company to begin work. 

0.3 Contract

The terms and conditions contained within this document form a contract between the customer and the company. Nothing in these terms and conditions shall affect any statutory rights of the company or the customer. 

0.4 Appointments

An appointment is said to exist if the company and the customer have mutually agreed upon a time and date for an engineer to visit and the customer has been sent a confirmation email to that effect. 

0.5 Credit Accounts

Business to business (B2B) credit accounts are available on request, subject to mutual agreement and account status. Please notify us in writing if you wish to be considered for a credit account. The maximum credit terms are 30 days. The company does not have the facility to offer credit to individuals.

0.6 Discount Codes

The company reserves the right to discontinue any discount code or other promotion without notice or reason.

Section 1: Payment Terms

1.1 General Terms

Unless agreed otherwise in advance, full payment will be due on satisfactory completion of the requested work. Payment can be made by cash, cheque, card payment or PayPal. 

In some cases, a non-refundable deposit may be required before work can commence and/or a charge may be made for last minute cancellation. Refer to section 2 for further information. 

Unfortunately, we cannot account for every eventuality and in some cases the cost of work undertaken may exceed the initial estimate. Where this becomes likely, your engineer will communicate this to you and an adjusted estimate will be produced. If you choose not to accept the new estimate, work already undertaken, plus any required to return the installation to a state not worse than when work commenced, shall remain chargeable at the applicable rate. Refer to section 3.1 for further information. 

1.2 Payment by Invoice

It may not always be possible for payment to be taken in-person on completion of the work. In these cases, an invoice shall be sent to the person/organisation requesting the work instead. Unless agreed otherwise in advance, invoices must be paid in full within 7 days of receipt (30 days if the customer has a pre-arranged B2B credit agreement in place).

Cleared funds must be received by the due date shown on your invoice. Please allow sufficient time for your chosen payment method to clear. Statutory interest (8% plus Bank of England base rate) will be applied to any amount in arrears from the due date, including any funds still to clear. Additionally, a late payment fee of £25+VAT shall be applied to any unpaid invoice to cover the associated administrative costs. If we have to refer the case to a debt collection agency, you will be charged an additional administration fee of £40+VAT, plus you will be liable for all costs incurred in the process of recovering the debt. 

Section 2: Cancellation of Appointments

2.1 Non-Refundable Deposits

In some cases, it may be necessary for the company to require a non-refundable deposit to be paid at the point of accepting an estimate, prior to any work being scheduled or carried out. This need will be considered on a case-by-case basis and shall, where possible, be communicated to the customer at the time of issuing the estimate. 

Non-refundable deposits will usually be considered necessary when the quoted work requires the purchase and/or hire of high value equipment that is itself non-refundable, and/or the booking of workers whose contracts include a penalty charge to the company for late cancellation. In any case, the non-refundable deposit should not exceed 50% of the total estimated cost of the work, unless unavoidable. 

Non-refundable deposits will be refunded in the case of the company cancelling the work unless this is as a result of an omission on the part of the customer. See section 2.6 below for further information. 

2.2 Cancellation >24 Hours’ Notice

Notwithstanding section 2.1 above, cancellations giving greater than 24 hours’ notice shall be accepted without further charge. 

2.3 Cancellation <24 Hours’ Notice à Prior to Engineer Arrival

Customers requesting cancellation and giving less than 24 hours’ notice, but prior to the arrival of the engineer at the agreed site, shall be invoiced for 50% of the latest agreed estimate or quotation total, less any amount already paid as a non-refundable deposit. If the non-refundable deposit paid exceeds 50% of the latest agreed quotation total, then no further payment will be required, or refund made. 

2.4 Cancellation After Engineer Arrival

Customers requesting cancellation after arrival of the engineer at the agreed site shall be charged an amount commensurate with the costs involved in engineer attendance and any forecast loss of revenue as a result of the cancellation. This amount will usually be 100% of the latest agreed estimate or quotation total, less any amount already paid as a non-refundable deposit.

2.5 Exceptional Circumstances

If you feel that the circumstances that led up to the cancellation of your appointment are exceptional, then you must contact us in writing as soon as possible. We will consider each case individually and aim to achieve an outcome that is mutually beneficial for all involved. We reserve the right to ask for satisfactory evidence to be submitted to support your claim in certain circumstances. 

2.6 Cancellation of an Appointment by Us

If we cancel an appointment for any reason, then a suitable alternative shall usually be sought in the first instance. Where we cancel a booking as the result of an omission, whether deliberate or otherwise, on the part of the customer, this shall be treated as though the customer has cancelled the booking themselves for the purposes of these terms and conditions. 

We are not liable for any associated costs arising from an appointment cancellation. We will aim to give at least 24 hours’ notice of cancellation wherever possible. 

Section 3: Unexpected Expenses

3.1 General Terms

Where work has commenced and it becomes clear to the engineer that the total cost may exceed the latest agreed estimate, this shall be communicated to the customer as soon as possible and a revised estimate issued. 

If the customer accepts the revised estimate, work shall continue as per these terms and conditions.

If the customer declines the revised estimate, they shall still remain liable for any costs incurred to that point, plus any work required to return the installation to a safe condition (or a condition not worse than when work commenced) as is legally required. 

3.2 Unexpected Expenses Arising from Third Party Actions

If unexpected expenses arise as a result of the actions of a third party, the customer shall be responsible for any process required to obtain compensation from that party. The company shall support the customer in this process where possible, although shall still expect payment for services in a timely manner. 

3.3 Unexpected Expenses Arising from Company Actions

If unexpected expenses arise as a result of the actions of the company, the company shall usually absorb the costs of any remedial work or refer the matter to their public liability and/or professional indemnity insurers as applicable. This will not usually be the case when the company actions were in response to an emergency situation (or potential emergency situation) that came about through no fault of the company. 

Where unexpected expenses arise as a result of incorrect advice given by the company and/or incorrect inspection and testing results, and a mutually agreeable solution cannot be found, the matter shall usually be referred to the company’s professional indemnity insurers. 

Section 4: Property Loss/Damage & Injury

4.1 General Terms

The company shall at all times hold comprehensive public liability insurance that shall cover unintended damage to property or injuries to persons not employed or contracted by the company. Customers are welcome to view the certificate of insurance at any time should they wish. 

In the event of unintended property damage and/or injury to persons not employed or contracted by the company, and no mutually agreeable solution can be found, the matter shall be referred to the company’s insurers as soon as practical. 

4.2 Reporting of Third-Party Injuries

Any injury sustained by a person not employed or contracted by the company, as a result of company activity shall be reported in the company’s accident record book. Third parties may decline to have their personal details recorded in such records, but an incident report is still required. 

4.3 Unavoidable Damage to Final Finishes

Whilst every care will be taken to avoid damaging final finishes, it shall be noted that in the process of disturbing fixtures and fittings for the purposes of inspection, replacement and/or remedial work, unavoidable damage may occur. The company shall not be liable for repair of this damage.

4.4 Intentional Damage to Final Finishes

Intentional damage shall be taken to mean any work that disturbs the final finish that was pre-planned with the customer, such as wall chasing and the like. The company does not offer a repair service following installation and shall only seek to make the installation electrically safe. The services of a relevant tradesperson shall be sought once complete. 

4.5 Dust Damage

Whilst every care shall be taken to limit the spread of dust during electrical work, the company shall not be liable for any resultant damage. Customers are requested to remove any items particularly at risk of damage by dust from the vicinity of any planned electrical work. 

Section 5: Inspection & Testing Services

5.1 General Terms

The company accepts no liability for any installation that it has not installed, regardless of whether or not inspection and testing results are acceptable. The company shall not certify work completed by a third party unless that third party was contracted by the company. If the company inspects an installation and finds that installation to present an immediate danger, it shall take reasonable steps in order to make that installation safe in the most cost effective way. Usually, this shall be by isolating the installation, or part thereof affected until remedial action can be undertaken. 

5.2 Fault Finding Guarantee

The company offers a guarantee that if a fault that is permanently visible to the engineer during their site visit cannot be diagnosed, then no charge shall be made for that aspect of work. 

This guarantee does not cover intermittent faults or those that cannot be recreated whilst on site and is limited to diagnosis of the fault only. Should the company diagnose the fault but choose not to tender for the required remedial work, all normal charges will stand.

This guarantee does not infer any obligation to book remedial work with Innes Eaton Electrical Services LTD.

5.3 Isolation & Remedial Work

The customer shall be liable for any legally required work to isolate an unsafe installation or part thereof found during inspection and testing. The customer should be (but does not need to be) consulted prior to undertaking this work if legally required. 

Remedial work shall be formally estimated as per any other enquiry and will not begin without the express approval of the customer. There is no obligation to use the company for any recommended remedial work recommended following inspection and testing services. 

5.4 Calibration of Equipment

All equipment used for inspection and testing services shall be calibrated in line with industry and/or manufacturers guidance. Customers are welcome to view any calibration certificates at any time should they wish. 

Section 6: General Assumptions

6.1 Final Accessories 

Unless otherwise specified, supplied accessories such as light switches and socket outlets shall be of a white plastic finish. The company shall supply final accessories from reputable sources and reserves the right to refuse to fit any accessory supplied by the customer that does not conform to the applicable British or Harmonised Standard.

6.2 Consumer Units

An electrical installation condition report (EICR), plus any remedial work to rectify C1 & C2 faults, is required to be performed by a competent person prior to the company changing any consumer unit. The company shall not install a consumer unit that it did not supply without first satisfying itself of the legitimacy of the supply chain. Unless otherwise specified, all new consumer units supplied shall be surge protected and be populated with RCBOs, unless AFDD protection is required under BS7671. 

6.3 Socket Outlets

Unless otherwise specified, supplied socket outlets shall be standard models and not incorporate any additional technology such as USB outlets etc. 

Unless otherwise specified, newly installed socket circuits supplying kitchen areas shall be rated at 32 amperes and wired radially in 4mm2 cable, rather than using a ring final circuit arrangement. All other newly installed socket circuits shall be rated at 20 amperes and wired radially in 2.5mm2cable, unless current demand is predicted to be higher. 

6.4 Lighting

Unless otherwise specified, supplied lighting points and lamps shall be of the non-dimmable variety and shall comply with Part L of the building regulations with regards to energy efficiency. Supplied downlighters shall be fire rated. Where reasonable, outdoor lighting shall be extra-low voltage (12-volt) for additional safety.

6.5 Bathrooms & Shower Rooms

Light fittings installed in bathrooms or shower rooms shall be of the applicable IP rating for their intended installation location. Unless otherwise specified, light switches shall be installed in an appropriate location outside of the room.

Standard 3-pin plug sockets are not permitted in bathrooms or shower rooms unless they can be fitted >2.5 metres from the edge of the bath or shower.

Extractor fans require the installation of a fused isolator switch in an appropriate location. 

6.6 Final Positioning of Accessories 

It shall be noted that the final positioning of accessories, such as light switches, socket outlets and light fittings, may be affected by numerous factors. These factors may not be known or fully understood until work has commenced.

6.7 Site Access

It is the responsibility of the person ordering the work to ensure that the company’s staff have ready access to the areas in which they need to work, including loft spaces and communal areas.

It shall be assumed that furniture shall be moved beforehand, and the company accepts no liability for any damage caused in moving any items that impede the work to be undertaken. If it is not possible or practical to move certain items for any reason, the company may postpone or cancel the work without notice. 

If the customer is to supply access equipment, such as loft ladders or scaffolding or the like, the company accepts no liability for any damage caused by its intended use. 

All time spent on site awaiting or assisting in gaining suitable access is chargeable at the applicable rate.

6.8 Loss of Power Supply

Whilst every effort shall be made to minimise disruption caused during work, power may be switched off at any point and for prolonged periods during any form of electrical work. Sensitive equipment should be disconnected or pointed out to us prior to work commencing. The company accepts no liability for any loss or damage caused through loss of power, whether intentional or otherwise. 

6.9 Building Regulations

Notwithstanding the above points, all work undertaken shall comply with the relevant parts of the Building Regulations. Where notifiable work has been undertaken, the company shall notify the Local Authority Building Control within the required timeframes of the Part P certification process.

6.10 Compliance with BS7671

All new work shall comply with the latest version of BS7671 (Requirements for Electrical Installations) and be certificated as such on completion of that work. In order to comply, some work may require an upgrade to existing wiring or equipment prior to commencement. The company reserves the right to postpone or cancel without notice any work planned when the existing installation is not able to be made compliant with any relevant parts of BS7671.

6.11 Other Trades

Where practical, electrical work should be booked to take place when no other trades are on site as there are often challenging logistical issues if we are required to isolate power supplies etc. 

If the company is to work with other trades, it is expected that the customer shall have performed due diligence with regards to the other contractors on site. 

Any costs arising as a result of third-party actions shall remain chargeable to the customer, in accordance with 3.2 above. 

6.12 Health & Safety

The company shall be responsible for completion of the Point of Work Risk Assessment (POWRA) and Construction Phase Plan as required by the Health & Safety at Work Act (1974) and the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2015 respectively. The customer shall be responsible for ensuring, insofar as is practical, that no avoidable hazards exist on site during the proposed work. The company reserves the right to postpone or cancel without notice any work planned where this requirement is not met. 

Section 7: Warranty

7.1 General Terms

The company offers a 24-month ‘no quibble’ warranty on all electrical work undertaken, which includes any non-consumable materials supplied and fitted by the company (taken to include long-life lightbulbs), plus any labour required to effect satisfactory repair, to all customers who make full payment within agreed timescales. The warranty period starts on the date of final invoice. 

Where installed materials come with a longer warranty offered by the respective manufacturer, details of this shall be passed to the customer following installation. In the event of malfunction of an installed accessory in this category after the 24-month period, labour rates shall be chargeable to the customer and it is the sole responsibility of the customer to liaise directly with the manufacturer regarding replacement items and/or compensation for any additional costs incurred. 

Warranty claims are dated from the date on which the company receives them in writing and cannot be backdated. 

7.2 Exclusions

The 24-month warranty is discretionary and offered as a gesture of good will. Customers who do not make full payment within agreed timescales shall forfeit this extended warranty and only receive our standard 12-month materials-only warranty. This does not affect your statutory rights.

The company is absolved of any warranty responsibility to customers who fail to make full payment. 

No warranty shall be offered by the company with regards to materials supplied by the customer, or wear and tear to materials that are considered to be consumables.

Accidental damage and/or malicious damage are not covered by warranty. This includes damage caused by DIY alterations and/or other tradespeople. 

Where tamper seals are fitted, their breaking or removal shall invalidate the 24-month warranty terms. 

Section 8: Labour Rates

8.1 General Terms

Labour rates are chargeable for each member of staff for each half-hour (or part thereof) that they are exclusively engaged in work for a customer. Labour rates are payable whether this work is taking place on site or otherwise, such as would be the case when visiting wholesalers or undertaking design work remotely. Rest breaks are non-chargeable. 

An out-of-hours rate shall be charged for any work that is to take place outside of normal working hours (before 0800, after 1800 and at weekends), excluding bank/public holidays. 

An enhanced rate shall be charged for any work that is to take place during bank/public holidays. 

8.2 Day Rates

Day rates are offered as a means of discounting the labour rate for larger projects and are offered at the discretion of the company. 

A day rate may be offered when a project spans multiple days and/or if the company is subcontracted to another. Unless agreed otherwise in advance, the day rate equates to 9 hours of labour as defined in 8.1 above, between the hours of 0800-1800 Monday to Friday excluding bank holidays (allowing for 1 hour of unpaid break(s) throughout the day).

8.3 Call-Out Fees

Call-out fees apply to all non-scheduled work and differ depending on the time of day or the urgency of the situation.

Scheduled work is defined as being work that is booked in advance, usually following an estimate or quotation, for which the customer does not require a site visit within 48 hours. If there happens to be availability for a site visit within 48 hours, this does not in itself define the work as non-scheduled. 

Non-scheduled work is any other work for which the customer requires a site visit within 48 hours. This work will accrue a call-out fee which shall include the first hour of labour. 

Standard call-out fees shall apply to any request to attend site between normal working hours of 0800-1800 Monday to Friday (excluding bank/public holidays).

Out-of-hours call-out fees shall apply to any request to attend site before 0800, after 1800 or at weekends (excluding bank/public holidays).

Enhanced call-out fees shall apply to any request to attend site during bank/public holidays and for all urgent/emergency callouts requiring a same day site visit. ‘Same day’ can be taken to mean within 12 hours if the call is received after 1200. 

Section 9: Waste Disposal

9.1 EA Registration

The company shall be at all times registered with the Environment Agency as a waste carrier of the appropriate category. The company’s licence number is CBDL467963.

9.2 Disposal of Waste

The company is not currently permitted to remove construction or demolition waste from site under the terms of its licence. All such waste shall be bagged up and left tidily for the customer to dispose of in a responsible manner. 

All other waste shall be removed by the company unless mutually agreed otherwise. 

The company is committed to environmentally responsible waste management processes and shall make use of all recycling facilities at its disposal. 

Section 10: Data Protection

10.1 ICO Registration 

The company shall be at all times registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office and comply with their instruction and guidance. The company’s registration number is ZB504780.

10.2 Privacy Policy

Details of how your data are used can be found in the company’s Privacy Policy, which shall at all times be published in full on the company’s website. Please refer to this document for further details. 

Section 11: Portable Appliance/Electrical Equipment Testing

11.1 General Terms

The terms ‘Portable Appliance Testing’ and ‘PAT Testing’ are now obsolete and have been replaced by the term ‘Electrical Equipment Testing’ (EET), to clarify that equipment that is not portable also falls under the respective guidance. However, the two terms continue to be used interchangeably in most official documentation. 

All EET shall be conducted in line with the latest version of the IET Code of Practice for In-service Inspection & Testing of Electrical Equipment, and all relevant legislation. 

A competent person shall be available to the engineer during their visit to advise on and assist with any local procedures that need to be followed, local health and safety considerations and access to equipment scheduled for testing. This may be conducted remotely by mutual agreement. 

The engineer must be provided with a means of contacting the responsible Duty Holder for the location if they are not the same person detailed above.

Where possible, the engineer should be provided with any records of previous inspection and/or testing during the site visit.

Where fixed items of equipment connected directly to the main electrical installation are to be tested, the engineer will require permission and access to isolate the associated supply. 

11.2 Limits of Liability

The company accepts no liability for loss or damage to electrical equipment caused through proper inspection and/or testing procedures. Equipment that is damaged by proper testing shall be deemed to have failed testing and be marked as unsuitable for continued use as per 11.3 below.

Electrical equipment that has passed shall be confirmed as functional (where possible) prior to the engineer leaving site. The company accepts no liability for loss or damage to electrical equipment beyond this point. 

The company accepts no liability arising from the continued use of electrical equipment that was not available or accessible for test, or that has failed testing and been marked as unsuitable for continued use. 

The company accepts no liability for data loss, financial losses or business interruption caused through proper inspection and/or testing procedures and customers must take appropriate safeguards where these risks are identified. 

11.3 Failed Equipment

Equipment that fails to meet any of the required aspects of inspection and/or testing, whether or not that equipment continues to operate as intended, shall be deemed to have failed testing. 

Failed items of equipment shall be clearly marked with a red sticker in a prominent position, either on the appliance itself, the plug, or any other location deemed suitable by the engineer. Where the engineer feels that there is a risk of the appliance being used inadvertently, they shall remove the fuse and/or take reasonable steps to temporarily disable the appliance. No permanent damage or alteration shall take place without the express permission of the Duty Holder. 

In all cases, the Duty Holder shall be responsible for organising repair, replacement and/or disposal of failed equipment. The company does not offer an appliance repair service, save for basic maintenance tasks. Any repairs undertaken by the company are chargeable at our standard labour rates.

11.4 Unavailable/Inaccessible Equipment

It is the responsibility of the customer to ensure that all items of equipment scheduled for test are made available during the site visit. Repeat visits arising from equipment that is unavailable or inaccessible are chargeable at standard rates. Appliances that are unavailable for testing are not charged for, although if the engineer is required to wait for appliances to become available (and cannot undertake any other testing in the meantime) then our standard labour rates will apply.

Where appliances are so fixed that they are not accessible for full electrical testing (such as integrated appliances), a visual inspection shall be carried out. Where a full visual inspection cannot be undertaken either, this shall be noted as a limitation on the schedule of test results and suitable recommendations shall be made to the Duty Holder. Inaccessible equipment is charged for at standard rates, regardless of the level of testing that is possible. 

Where appliances require more than one person, or specially trained persons to make them accessible for testing, it is the responsibility of the customer to ensure that those resources are available during the site visit. Unless agreed otherwise in advance, EET is conducted by a sole engineer and additional staff are charged for at our standard labour rates. 

11.5 Functional Testing

Electrical equipment that has passed shall be confirmed as functional (where possible) prior to the engineer leaving site. 

Where specially trained persons are required to verify correct functioning of an appliance, it is the responsibility of the customer to ensure that those persons are available during the site visit. 

11.6 Risk Assessments & EET Schedules

Legislation clarifies that decisions regarding EET schedules shall be made by the Duty Holder responsible for the location and be based upon the results of a suitable risk assessment undertaken by them. 

Whilst the company is not permitted to make this decision on behalf of the customer, it is able to assist in developing the risk assessment(s) and ensuring that any decisions made by the Duty Holder comply with relevant legislation, should the customer require this service. 

11.7 Tests Undertaken

Class I equipment shall be subject to the following tests where possible:

1. Formal visual inspection

2. Earth continuity testing

3. Insulation resistance testing

Class II equipment shall be subject to formal visual inspection in all cases, plus insulation resistance testing where exposed metal parts are present.

All equipment shall be subject to functional testing as per 11.5 above, where safe and practical to do so.

Microwaves shall be subject to microwave leakage testing during functional testing and are classed as complex items for billing purposes. 

Fixed equipment connected to a fused connection unit shall be disconnected and tested by means of an appropriate adapter where possible. The customer shall be responsible for ensuring that the engineer has permission and access to isolate the associated supply. 

Additional testing may be performed at the discretion of the engineer. The engineer’s judgment is final with regards to whether an item has passed or failed inspection and testing. 

11.8 Fixed/Complex Items

Fixed items are those that are in some way attached to the fabric of the building and/or are wired permanently to the main electrical installation, usually by means of a fused connection unit. Items that require more than one person to safely move are considered to be fixed items for billing purposes. 

Complex items are those that require additional tasks to be completed in order to conduct EET and include items that connect by a means other than a standard 13 amp plug, any item of 110v or 3-phase equipment, and microwaves.