Government >   Home grown product    |     Value for money    |     Price confidence

No unforeseen shocks should occur when it comes to prices. This means that itemised fixed price quotes for clearly specified work should always be given in writing. Quotes must include all costs, including delivery and taxes such as VAT. Quotes should clearly state if roof access costs, including scaffolding and lifting, such as cranes, are included or excluded, and if excluded, whether the customer or whomever, should specifically supply this and to what standard. If work takes longer than expected, the installer should bear this in full.

Warranties should be clear, of a fixed period and inclusive. For commercial installations, warranties of 12 months should be regarded as minimal. Warranties of at least 3 years should apply to the performance of solar installations before additional payment for longer warranties are required. Warranties which offer different periods on different elements, such as 12 months on labour, 2 years for cylinders, 3 years for pumps and five for panels and pipes can cause difficulties, since if anything goes wrong, there can be “boundary disputes”. For example, it can sometimes be difficult to attribute a claim to one particular component, or to labour alone, especially when one element is out of warranty but while another is still covered.

Solartwin offers 12 month to 5 year performance-based warranties on trade customers. Our pricing is clear and what we supply is clearly set out and priced, line by line. Because Solartwin fixes so simply to the roof and because it usually has only 2 or 3 connections into the main plumbing, knowing where everybody's responsibilities start and finish is easy.

When we install, we will usually expect you to provide roof access and lifting unless agreed otherwise. We take on full project responsibility right through to final commissioning while taking the necessary time out to explain to project partners what solar water heating is all about.

Solartwin wins DTI SMART award
Ten of Britain's brightest businesses have benefited from DTI support to achieve real commercial success. Three of the ten awards were to environmental businesses, including ourselves, Solar Twin Ltd of Cheshire.