Treating customers fairly

We are committed to providing world-class customer service and treating you fairly. This Treating Customers Fairly statement is designed to ensure that we meet the standards required of us by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), but also that we excel in the service we provide you.

We believe that a world class service is:

• providing customers what they expect and treating them in the way they expect to be treated
• providing customers something more than they expect and treating them better than they expect to be treated

Our aim is to provide a fair, clear and transparent service to you.

This Treating Customers Fairly statement provides more information about these FCA standards and the actions we’re taking.

You can also find more information on our website about our responsibilities to you and about free and impartial advice on saving energy.  Our website provides our complaints process should you wish to formally raise an issue with us.

Contact us

If you would like a printed copy of our Treating Customers Fairly Statement please get in touch.

Call us on 0808 108 9414 – we are UK-based and are open from 9am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday. Calls are free from a landline and most mobile networks – alternatively, there are other ways to contact us.

Treating customers fairly: outcomes

There are six core consumer outcomes to ensure customers are treated fairly. These are listed below, along with how Energy Saving Trust will ensure we meet those outcomes.

Outcome 1: consumers can be confident that they are dealing with firms where the fair treatment of customers is central to the corporate culture

We will behave and carry out any actions in a fair, honest, transparent, appropriate and professional way.

• to ensure we do this we regularly conduct customer surveys and review the feedback in order to continuously improve our service. We monitor calls to our service delivery team and advice service and feedback to our staff on how they can improve
• we listen to our staff and find ways to improve processes and procedures to improve the experience customers have when dealing with Energy Saving Trust
• we have an internal open and transparent quality management system to ensure all documentation and records are available to those staff who need access to them. This will ensure that staff can quickly access customer details

Outcome 2: products and services marketed and sold in the retail market are designed to meet the needs of identified consumer groups and are targeted accordingly

We will provide products that meet the needs of our customers and will only provide them to those customers if we believe the products are relevant to them.

• our loan products are delivered on behalf of the Scottish Government and have been designed to meet the needs of specific client groups. The products’ terms and conditions and eligibility criteria are specifically designed with certain consumer groups in mind
• where a product is not suitable for a customer we will tell them
• we will not advise customers to take a specific product but will provide information to enable customers to make an informed choice for themselves

Outcome 3: consumers are provided with clear information and kept appropriately informed before, during and after the point of sale

We are committed to providing clear information and support to help customers. The information we give you for any products we provide will be:

• accurate, honest and complete
• all documentation will be in clear and plain language
• we will ensure that any information is fair in its content and presentation
• where applicable we will highlight the most important information
• we will provide this at every stage of our customers dealings with us
• our Home Energy Scotland advisors can provide information about the various schemes on offer and the service delivery team will support you through the process of applying for a loan or grant. All documentation is designed to be easy to understand and complete, and our team of advisors are on hand to help you on the phone with any questions
• our website also details the different schemes on offer

Outcome 4: where consumers receive advice, the advice is suitable and takes account of their circumstances

Energy Saving Trust provides independent and impartial advice on energy efficiency and energy saving technologies. We will provide this advice only from trained advisors to ensure that a customer is given the right advice for them. We do not give specific financial advice but provide details of schemes available to customers to enable customers to make an informed choice.

Where we provide advice on energy saving:

• advisors ask targeted questions to ensure advice energy saving schemes and services is bespoke to each customer’s circumstances and home and therefore relevant to them. Where a loan is relevant, suitable and available the advisor will provide details

• advisors seek to deliver the most useful and beneficial energy saving advice via an engaged conversation with the customer to understand their interest. Where a loan is available the advisor will provide details
• follow up advice on energy saving is offered for future calls and contact

Outcome 5: consumers are provided with products that perform as firms have led them to expect, and the associated service is of an acceptable standard and as they have been led to expect

• we continually review the way we do things to ensure our products are clear, thorough, fit for purpose and transparent
• we review customer feedback on our service and implement improvements as soon as possible to ensure we provide a world class service
• we listen to staff feedback to help improve the standards of products from their frontline customer journey experience

Outcome 6: consumers do not face unreasonable post-sale barriers imposed by firms to change product, switch provider, submit a claim or make a complaint

• we will be courteous and will always act promptly to help our customers
• we are committed to helping customers resolve issues if something goes wrong and we will work to find a way to resolve the issue without fuss
• we will always make it easy for customers to contact us through our free phone numbers
• we have dedicated support to help guide customers through any issues and can liaise with relevant third parties to assist in finding a resolution where applicable