Loft insulation via walk-in surveyor?

jen1

Well I wished I had read this thread before I signed up for loft insulation... When we had a call from the surveyor (as she called herself) I stressed the fact we had spot lights in all bedrooms and bathroom. She told us this would not be a problem as they would use insulation blocks so we could just lift them up and place them back down afterwards.
I was also concerned about not being able to store stuff in the loft, She then said they could leave a section of the loft for storage and this would be no problem.

Well today is the day for the loft insulation to be fitted. I went food shopping dh was working from home so all good, dh calls to say they have arrived I get home 30 mins later to find they have already finished and want me to sign and pay.. I go up into the loft to take a look and they have covered the whole off my loft with rolls of insulation.
No space for storage, no insulation blocks. Our loft is boarded and they have just laid the insulation over the top! I have refused to pay and have complained to the office and head office. There is no way we are paying £199 for this! They can come and remove it and we will do a proper job.
I have now got to wait for a visit from another surveyor, the fitters today also said we are not the first to be told about the blocks.
I wish we never signed up now.

Errata

She told us this would not be a problem as they would use insulation blocks so we could just lift them up and place them back down afterwards.
I was also concerned about not being able to store stuff in the loft, She then said they could leave a section of the loft for storage and this would be no problem.

Did you have all that in writing, or does the contract you signed simply say 'supply and fit'?

jen1

Errata wrote: »

Did you have all that in writing, or does the contract you signed simply say 'supply and fit'?

No unfortunately, the contract just has the loft measurements no materials are stated. Looking back I should off got it in writing, We would never of agreed if this is the job we were going to get.

We feel like we have been conned by this company which is why I am so angry.:mad:

Errata

the fitters today also said we are not the first to be told about the blocks.

Have you got their names? Not that it's a guarantee they would repeat to their boss what they said to you.

jen1

Errata wrote: »

Have you got their names? Not that it's a guarantee they would repeat to their boss what they said to you.

Yes I have their names it is on the paper work I refused to sign, I did write the reasons why I refused to sign and pay on the paper work.

Damocell

Whilst I do not support bully tactics when selling door to door (being an ex door to door energy salesman and never needing those tactics) I thought you all might like to know that SIG Energy Management is part of the highly successful and reputable SIG Plc who had revenues of £1343.7m for the first 6 months of this year.

I have no affiliation with the company but in the past I have had dealings with other parts of the group and have had nothing but good service.

sattaj

I've become a user of this (and one other) forum specifically to report a good experience with the loft insulation service offered by SIG Energy in contrast to some of those above.

This was for top up loft insulation (100% subsidised) in the London Borough of Sutton with a team operating from the Reading branch. The work was completed and no mention of any extra charges was made by anybody I came in contact with at any time.

I was visiting my now elderly mother when a canvasser called to promote the installation of loft installation. I am wary of cold callers but as this was something that I had in mind I agreed to see the surveyor who was out with the canvassing team. This method of working reflects the experience of others who have posted on this site. I guess that there are many (lowly paid) canvassers doing the door to door stuff and one member of the team to assess whether the insulation can be fitted free.

Both the canvasser and the surveyor were polite and not at all pushy, unlike others I have read about in other posts. The information was clear, the information pack left behind gave all the information including the fact that SIG Energy Management use Miller Pattison for their installations. A letter was sent to confirm the installation date which was different from the original provisional one made on the day of the survey but I was able easily to contact the main office and change the date to a more convenient one. A confirmation of the revised date was sent. I wanted to be around rather than have my Mother cope with the visit as it has got to the stage where I feel she would be vulnerable to any poor practice.

Only on the day of installation did I look up any forums on SIG energy whilst I was waiting for them to arrive. I was concerned reading the reports of others. However, the two workers arrived within the time window, worked efficiently, completed the job and even included a small area of boarding to gain access to the water tank at no extra cost (even though the letter said that boarding may be chargeable). I was invited to inspect the work before they left. There was no hard sell or soft sell for any other services and the two workers did not even want to be refreshed with tea and biscuits!

Overall I have no complaints at all with the way the work was carried out or the original approach of the company.

I guess the reputation of the company is only as good as the front line workers who interface with the public but I am happy to report that I experienced none of the problems listed by others in this thread.

DVardysShadow

sattaj wrote: »

I've become a user of this (and one other) forum specifically to report a good experience with the loft insulation service offered by SIG Energy in contrast to some of those above.

This was for top up loft insulation (100% subsidised) in the London Borough of Sutton with a team operating from the Reading branch. The work was completed and no mention of any extra charges was made by anybody I came in contact with at any time.

I was visiting my now elderly mother when a canvasser called to promote the installation of loft installation. I am wary of cold callers but as this was something that I had in mind I agreed to see the surveyor who was out with the canvassing team. This method of working reflects the experience of others who have posted on this site. I guess that there are many (lowly paid) canvassers doing the door to door stuff and one member of the team to assess whether the insulation can be fitted free.

Both the canvasser and the surveyor were polite and not at all pushy, unlike others I have read about in other posts. The information was clear, the information pack left behind gave all the information including the fact that SIG Energy Management use Miller Pattison for their installations. A letter was sent to confirm the installation date which was different from the original provisional one made on the day of the survey but I was able easily to contact the main office and change the date to a more convenient one. A confirmation of the revised date was sent. I wanted to be around rather than have my Mother cope with the visit as it has got to the stage where I feel she would be vulnerable to any poor practice.

Only on the day of installation did I look up any forums on SIG energy whilst I was waiting for them to arrive. I was concerned reading the reports of others. However, the two workers arrived within the time window, worked efficiently, completed the job and even included a small area of boarding to gain access to the water tank at no extra cost (even though the letter said that boarding may be chargeable). I was invited to inspect the work before they left. There was no hard sell or soft sell for any other services and the two workers did not even want to be refreshed with tea and biscuits!

Overall I have no complaints at all with the way the work was carried out or the original approach of the company.

I guess the reputation of the company is only as good as the front line workers who interface with the public but I am happy to report that I experienced none of the problems listed by others in this thread.

You know, there is one thing guaranteed to get up people's noses, that is treating people as stupid enough to believe a 1 post newbie who joined this site and another just to post about their wonderful loft insulation installation experience.

jc808

I too feel the need to counter the balance in some way with regard to SIG Energy.
This is my experience

I was sitting in the living room when my doorbell rang which I thought was unusual as I have a gated intercom system at the end of my drive. I went to the front door and answered. Before me was a very gruff individual who informed me that the Cambered gay had come over the dive (?) After some clarification it turns out he said hed "Clambered over my gate and come over the drive" - I was somewhat taken aback about this, but admired the fellows forthright and pro-active approach to a sales pitch. Wasn't too keen on their dogs though. Their attack dogs. I also had some reservations about the fact SIG Energys reps in the motor were linking chains through my security gate onto their flatbed... still their main rep, the one inside my house (His name was Jezzer, I think) had made a beeline for my loft where, one presumed, he really thought we could make some savings. The only problem was he'd stumbled on my wife who was nursing a massive hangover (She seems to have these all the time nowadays, like every day of the week...)
I think a lot of her drink problems stem from unhappiness, really. It must be difficult being a self-diagnosed nymphomaniac and living with a Mobile Stationery Salesman like me. It's not that im jealous of my wife, im just not possessive like a lot of those rougher fellows she was so unhappy with before she met me. Of course I know she has affairs ('mishaps' we've coyly christened them, somewhat knowingly in spite of furtive eye discontact) but so long as we're together (And she has adequate protection... for the sake of our whole family really) that's all that matters... isn't it? I mean 'In Sickness and In Health'... our relationship exists in spite of our respective faults and ....illnesses.
Even accepting and understanding all this... It was hard to stomach drawing out the preperation of an... unwarranted -no- *unrequested* cup of tea for fifteen whole minutes while what happened well, .... happe- no, NO the gentleman was just doing what he had to do, what ANY of us would have done h- well, he's here to survey our loft insulation, our energy requirements. Make us more energy efficient, you know... save the planet. I used to strongly believe that, in the 1980s. When I think back now, god... I used to follow whole bands whole SCENES on that ethos, god... I must get my U2 LPs out... it's just it's ... it's not a problem it's just... the lack of respect, I mean how... how DARE these people come onto my property and VIOLATE my territory!! I couldn't hold it back any longer... I had to -excuse me i'm no 'bully boy'- but "have a word" !!!
'Excuse me please' I said as I stormed out... 'Yeh mate?' 'Erm... your dog can he er... not do that in my flower bed please...sorry'
'Dogs do that guv... part of there nature innit... wos darwin wot said that... or was it enstein? Clever bloke anyway. Invented the telephone he did... if it werent for him wed be all running around in mud huts with towels on our head like in Pakistan... course I reckon they should send themselves all back...'
'Um indeed...'
Going back inside, the cup of tea was finally ready. I meekly shuffled upstairs. On greeting the fellow (Who was inspecting the insulation in the master bedr- well, my wifes room really...) I asked if our insulation requirements were deficient in respect of current European regulations only to be interrupted:
'Er... no guv, im off, eh?..'

I must say I was very impressed! No hard sell, just honesty and up-front-ness. It's clear we don't require Loft insulation anyway, in retrospect as we (Well, my wife, really...) has had in the past 6 months:

- Cavity insulation
- Loft insulation
- Rafter insulation
- Loft insulation (Ripped out the previous stuff, and installed 450mm in line with proposed changes to European directives set to fall in c2017)
- New double glazing (We already had this but the old units were... well, two years old)
- New drive (with energy efficient bricks!!)

My wifes a complete darling, she arranges and liases with these arcane trades while im away on long business trips as she knows im busy, and it always is such a nice surprise to see what improvements our 2004 Executive Home have every time I arrive back (Although I did have to block her attempts to have the house underpinned 6 months ago, the gable ends demolished and rebuilt in October and the new roof last week, as I felt the works were unjustifiable in respect of our financial situation (On a related matter does anyone know of any banks that do Home Improvement Loans, I have a couple already, it's just my bank won't lend to me anym- oh, infact it doesn't matter...)

Overall, 7/10, great guys, no hard sell, just wish my Petunias were the same... Oh and if I do see the fellows in and around town I must ask for my gate back....

loracan1

Surely the done thing when anyone knocks on your door/telephones to try and flog their windows/loft insulation/kitchens is to say you only had them done last month?