1. Scope of Cover

1.1. These terms and conditions apply to the service and maintenance agreement provided by SSE Home Services Limited.

1.2. The types and levels of cover offered are:

 (a) gas central heating system cover or gas boiler and controls cover; and/or

(b) electrical wiring cover.

1.3. Unless specifically stated otherwise, clauses in these terms and conditions are applicable to all types and levels of cover.

1.4. Subject to the provisions of this agreement, this agreement covers the cost of all parts and labour (including VAT) associated with repairs required to maintain your system in working order. The repairs covered by the agreement will be determined by the type and level of cover you have chosen.

1.5. There are no limits to the number of call-outs you may have during the course of this agreement.

1.6. Unless either party cancels your agreement, we will continue to provide you with cover in accordance with the terms and conditions of this agreement.

1.7. We reserve the right to amend the cost of your agreement and will provide you with prior notice of any such change. If, as a result of any such change, you wish to cancel your agreement, then the provisions of clauses 10.1, 10.3 and/or 10.4 will apply.

1.8. This agreement only covers domestic properties owned and occupied by the person taking out the agreement. This agreement does not cover properties occupied by tenants. If we become aware that the agreement has been entered into by you for a tenanted or commercial property, we will cancel your agreement.

1.9. It is your responsibility to cancel any similar service and/or maintenance agreement which you may have with an alternative provider.

2. Scope of Gas Cover

2.1. Clauses 2.2  to 2.9 (inclusive) are only applicable to central heating system cover and boiler and controls cover.

2.2. We will carry out an annual service of your boiler (subject to manufacturers’ recommendations) and inspection of your boiler and central heating system.  We will normally only carry out one such annual service and inspection in any 12 month period. We will usually try to carry this out around the same time each year, but this will depend on our workload and your appointment preference.

2.3. We do not apply system age limitations provided spare parts are still available.

2.4. We will only use Gas Safe Register engineers to work on your system.

2.5. Some systems and/or boiler makes and models are not suitable for contract cover. If applicable, you will be advised of this either during or shortly after our initial inspection or any subsequent annual service and inspection visit.

2.6. This agreement is applicable to boilers and circulating warm air units running on natural gas. This agreement does not cover LPG, oil, electrical or under-floor heating systems.

2.7. Only systems which comply with the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations (current edition), the relevant manufacturer instructions and the relevant British Standards, will be covered.

2.8. Systems which have two or more different fuel type heat sources connected to the same central heating system are not covered under this agreement.

2.9. Systems containing a gas boiler and a gas range connected to the same central heating system are not covered under this agreement.

3. Scope of Electrical Wiring Cover

3.1. Clauses 3.2 to 3.5 (inclusive) are only applicable to electrical wiring cover.

3.2. Where we deem it necessary, we will carry out an initial inspection of your fixed electrical wiring system to confirm suitability for cover.

3.3. We will advise you whether we can provide cover either during or shortly after our initial inspection. Where we deem that an initial inspection is not necessary, subject to clauses 5.6 and 6.1, your system will be considered suitable for electrical wiring cover.

3.4. We plan to carry out subsequent inspections of your fixed electrical wiring system every five years.

3.5. We will only use suitably qualified electricians to work on your system.

4. Appointments

4.1. Inspection visits and annual service visits (where applicable), will be carried out on an agreed date during our normal working hours, which are available on request.

4.2. Breakdown calls will be treated as a priority over service and inspection visits.

4.3. If we agree the breakdown is an emergency, we will use our reasonable endeavours to respond to it within two hours, or as soon as is reasonably practicable, including at weekends and on public holidays.

4.4. If for any reason you will not be available for an agreed appointment time, you should contact us at the earliest opportunity to agree an alternative appointment.

4.5. It is your responsibility to allow us access to your property for appointments which have been agreed with you.  We reserve the right to charge you for costs incurred where we attend your property for an agreed appointment, but are either unable to gain access to your property or you decline to give us access.

4.6.  Where we have attended your property for an agreed appointment, and we have been unable to gain access on two occasions for an annual service and inspection visit (for gas cover) or on two occasions for an inspection visit other than an initial inspection (for electrical wiring cover), then our obligations in respect of carrying out that visit will be deemed to have been fulfilled.

4.7. Where we have provided written notification to you requesting that you contact us to arrange an appointment for an annual service and inspection visit (for gas cover), or an inspection visit other than the initial inspection (for electrical wiring cover), and you fail to contact us within 28 days of receiving the notification to make an appointment, then our obligations in respect of carrying out that visit will be deemed to have been fulfilled.

5. Start Date and Payment

5.1. Cover will start 14 days after we accept your application, subject to receipt of payment. Any repairs required prior to the cover start date will be chargeable.

5.2. Payment must be made monthly by direct debit or as a single payment in advance of your cover start date.

5.3. After your 14 day cooling off notice period, subject to the clauses 5.4 to 5.6 (inclusive), we will provide you with cover in accordance with the terms of this agreement.

5.4. In the case of gas cover, in the period between the cover start date and us carrying out an initial inspection, we reserve the right to charge you for any repairs due to a pre-existing fault or system deficiency.

5.5. In the case of electrical wiring cover where we have deemed it necessary to carry out an initial inspection, in the period between the cover start date and us carrying out an initial inspection, we reserve the right to charge you for any repairs due to a pre-existing fault or system deficiency.

5.6. In the case of electrical wiring cover where we have deemed it not necessary to carry out an initial inspection, we reserve the right to charge you for any repairs which are due to a pre-existing fault or system deficiency.

6. Upgrade Work

6.1. At the initial inspection or, in the case of electrical wiring cover where we have deemed that an initial inspection was not required, the first time we attend your property, we may identify upgrade work required to bring your system up to our standards for contract cover. Any such upgrade work performed by us will be chargeable.

6.2. If you decline to undertake the upgrade work identified by our engineers in accordance with clause 6.1, we will either exclude the relevant system parts from your cover until the upgrade work has been completed to our satisfaction, or we will cancel the agreement.

6.3. Any repairs required as a consequence of these excluded system parts, will be chargeable.