Introduction to Complaints
Vulcan treats Complaints as a valuable opportunity for feedback and improvement in quality. Any Stakeholder (see definition below) dissatisfied with a Member’s conduct or an assessment can complain via our "Ask Vulcan" Portal or by email (to support@homeenergyfoundry.com).
We ask that all complaints are directed in the first instance to the relevant Energy Assessor before reaching out to the Scheme. If this is not possible or does not resolve the issue, complainants can reach out to us. There is no cost to make a complaint.
Definition of Stakeholder
A “stakeholder” for the purposes of this section is:
Anyone who owns or lives in, or otherwise has an interest in, a building or buildings for which an Energy Performance Certificate has been prepared;
A person working on behalf of a property owner or landlord, e.g., estate agent, letting agent, solicitor, etc;
A company that employs Energy Assessors;
Another Energy Assessor Accreditation Scheme;
A Vulcan Member;
An Energy Assessor from another Scheme;
A Trading Standards Officer, Building Control Officer, or some other individual who has a formal role regarding ensuring compliance with the Energy Performance of Buildings regulations, Building Regulations, the Green Deal, etc;
MHCLG or the Registry Operator; and
Any other interested party not listed above.
Contents of complaints
Complainants will be guided to provide the following information:
Name of Member that conducted the work;
EPC number if available;
Date the assessment was completed;
Description of complaint;
Their contact details.
Complaints Process
A Vulcan Team Member will respond within 5 days to:
Acknowledge receipt of the complaint;
Propose next steps for resolution;
Outline expected time for resolution. We aim to resolve most Complaints within 10 business days.
Where we require more information to understand the Complaint, we’ll wait for 30 days to receive a response before we close the complaint.
Consequences and Escalation of Complaint
Complainants will be notified of the outcome of a complaint by email.
Vulcan’s Disciplinary Procedure can be invoked based on complaint evidence – for example, sanctions ranging from requiring additional training to suspension or “strike off” (revocation) are possible depending on the nature of the complaint.
If a Complainant is not satisfied with our response, they can escalate their complaint via the Independent Appeals Panel process. Complainants must have additional evidence or a clear reason to appeal, and we may deny an appeal that we consider “vexatious”. If this happens, we will inform the complainant of our reasons for considering the complaint vexatious.
Member Conduct Outside the Scheme
Vulcan recognises that Members are independent professionals and may act in other capacities outside of their Vulcan-accredited role. Where complaints or reports involve potential criminal behaviour, serious misconduct, or reputational risk to the industry or scheme - even if outside the scope of a Vulcan assessment - Vulcan reserves the right to investigate whether such behaviour renders the Member unfit to practise as an Energy Assessor.
While Vulcan is not legally liable for the private actions of Members, the Scheme reserves the right to take proportional action, including suspension or revocation, based on the severity of those actions and their impact on the Member's fitness and probity.
Any member charged or convicted with a criminal offence relevant to their professional responsibilities (e.g. fraud, harassment, intimidation, corruption, abuse of access to buildings) must notify Vulcan within 10 business days. Failure to do so is a breach of the Code of Conduct.
Vulcan will maintain records of such disclosures and reserves the right to share relevant information with MHCLG or other schemes to maintain professional standards.
Reporting on Complaints
Vulcan commits to reply to complaints within 5 business days, and aims to resolve complaints within 30 business days. Where this timeline looks at risk, Vulcan will keep the Complainant informed of the process.
Vulcan will record and report Complaints, including time to response and resolution, and analyse this data to identify areas for improvement. Vulcan will report raw data and its findings as part of monthly reporting to MHCLG. Certain complaints may trigger faster escalation to MHCLG and the authorities. Records of all Complaints will be stored securely.