Terms of business
What you get, what it costs, what is not included and where we both stand. Written to be read before you commit, not afterwards.
Last updated: August 2026. These terms apply to work carried out by Jim Thomas, trading as Jim Thomas Energy Consultancy, of Worfield, near Bridgnorth, Shropshire. For any individual job I will also send you a short written scope confirming exactly what has been agreed. Where the two differ, the written scope wins.
1. What I do
I provide independent energy advice. I survey a building, establish what is worth spending money on and in what order, and produce a written report. Where you want the work carried out, I arrange specialists, obtain and compare quotes, and manage the job through to completion.
I do not manufacture, sell, supply or install anything.
2. What is not included
I am not the technical designer. The following sit outside my scope and, where needed, are carried out by a suitably certified third party at a separately quoted cost:
- Heat loss calculations and heating or cooling system design
- Structural and roof loading assessments
- Electrical capacity assessments and distribution network operator applications
- Refrigerant handling and F-Gas work
- Any design work required as a condition of an installer's certification
- Installation of any measure, of any kind
Where a measure is worth taking forward I will arrange that stage, brief the specialist and review what they produce. Their fee is separate from mine and you will see it before you commit to anything.
3. Fees
Fees are published and fixed before I start. The current rates are:
| Service | Detail | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Quote Review | Up to three quotes reviewed, written summary, follow-up call | £195 |
| Home Energy Plan | Full survey and costed, ranked written plan | £350 |
| Home Energy Plan, larger property | Larger or off-gas properties | from £450 |
| Domestic EPC | Full assessment and lodged certificate | £85 |
| Commercial EPC | Up to 500 sq m, larger quoted on floor area and zones | £495 |
| Project management | Percentage of works value, minimum fee £750 | 10% |
| Contract management, commercial | On installations I have specified | 8% |
| Consultancy day rate | Half day £175 | £350 |
| Follow-up advice | Ad-hoc questions once your plan is in hand | £65 / hr |
Anything that does not fit the list above is quoted individually and agreed in writing before work starts. I am not VAT registered at present. If that changes I will tell you in writing before it affects you.
4. Payment
- Deposit. 50% on acceptance for fees above £400, with the balance due on delivery of the written report.
- Terms. Payment within 14 days of invoice.
- Late payment. Where you are a business, statutory interest and compensation may be applied under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.
- Travel. Included within 30 miles of Worfield. Beyond that, agreed in writing before the visit.
- Ownership. The report becomes yours on payment in full. Until then it remains mine.
I will not carry out extra work and invoice you for it afterwards. Anything outside the agreed scope is quoted and agreed first.
5. Fee credits
Where a Quote Review is followed by a Home Energy Plan booked within three months, £100 of the review fee is credited against the plan. The credit applies to the plan fee only. It does not apply to project management, to any specialist's fee, or to installation costs.
Where a Home Energy Plan is followed by project management, the plan fee is credited in full against my project management fee, on the same basis. In practice that means the plan costs you nothing if I go on to manage the work.
6. Independence and disclosure
My fee is for the advice, not for the installation. I hold no stock, sell no products and have no manufacturer agreements.
I work with a small number of contractors I know and have used before. Where a project proceeds through a contractor I have introduced, there may be a commercial arrangement between that contractor and me. If that applies to your project I will tell you in writing, and tell you what it is, before you commit to anything. My fee to you does not change either way.
You are never obliged to use a contractor I introduce. Every report is written so it can be handed to any competent installer.
7. What I need from you
- Safe access to the property on the agreed date, including lofts, plant rooms and consumer units where relevant
- Twelve months of energy bills or meter readings, where you have them
- Any existing EPC, quotes, surveys or drawings
- Details of known defects, damp or planned building work
- Where you are not the owner, the owner's permission for the visit
If a visit cannot go ahead because access is not available, I may charge a reasonable abortive visit fee of up to £150 to cover time and travel.
8. The limits of my report
My assessment is visual and non-intrusive. I do not lift floors, open up walls, move stored belongings, or test services or appliances.
Costs and savings in my report are indicative, based on typical market rates and standard assumptions at the date of the report. They are not quotations and they are not guarantees. Actual costs depend on the contractor, the specification and site conditions. Actual savings depend on your energy use, your tariff and future energy prices, none of which I control.
A report is prepared for you and for the property named in it. It should not be relied on by anyone else, or for any other property, without my written agreement.
A report is not a building survey, a structural survey, a valuation, or advice on planning, building regulations, listed building consent or party wall matters. Where those are relevant I will say so and recommend you take appropriate advice.
9. Insurance and liability
I hold professional indemnity insurance of £1,000,000 and public liability insurance of £2,000,000, placed through Simply Business. Certificates are available on request.
My total liability to you in connection with any work is limited to £1,000,000, being the amount of my professional indemnity cover in force. Nothing in these terms limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, for fraud, or for anything else that cannot lawfully be limited.
I am not liable for the work, advice, delays or defaults of any third party contractor or specialist, whether or not I introduced them. Your contract for installation work is with the installer, not with me.
10. Cancellation
Where you are a consumer and we agree the work away from my business premises, you have the right to cancel within 14 days without giving a reason, under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013.
If you ask me to start work within that 14 day period and then cancel, I may charge for the work done up to the point of cancellation.
If you cancel a booked site visit with less than 48 hours' notice, I may charge up to £150 to cover the reserved time.
Either of us may end an agreement in writing if the other is in material breach and has not put it right within 14 days of being asked to.
11. General
Personal data is handled as set out in the privacy notice.
If you are unhappy with anything, tell me first and I will try to put it right. If we cannot resolve it, we can agree to mediation before either of us takes it further.
These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales.
Questions before you commit?
Ask. I would far rather explain a clause now than argue about it later. Send an enquiry or ring 07852 545753.