Energy Saving Trust Reviews 

No response to emails or phone calls. Friendly staff but you can't speak to anyone directly on your case. It seems they have no case management system in place to properly follow-up. When you call/chase they can't promise any timings to follow-up/respond - this is quite basic SLA (Service Level Agreement) information they should at least be able to share.

We're a small business in the Scottish Highlands and after a very long and lengthy process we finally received approval to get support for an ASHP installation. We have now completed the installation, received the invoice (now overdue), and shared all requested files/docs with EST/Business Energy Scotland.

But now I can't get a response from EST/BES to A: arrange a possible site survey (not clear if we actually need). B: Release the support payment.

We only invested in the ASHP due to the promised EST/BES support, but this is now causing unnecessary stress.

As others have mentioned, in theory it could be a great service and we appreciate the support (if/when you can eventually get it), but seems completely understaffed, poorly managed.

Excellent scheme and would definitely use again if the scheme was applicable.

The scheme in itself is very good and provides funding for renewables that might not be otherwise affordable. The downside is that the scheme is very popular and trying to contact support staff is often very difficult at times but worth persevering.

I have been waiting on a call since the middle of October for an appointment with renewables specialist. I have called several times to follow up but nothing ever happens

Utterly scum. Useless at literally everything. You couldn't dream up a more bureaucratic, long winded and CRAP scheme. Clearly these morons do not want anyone adopting eco tech, so I won't. Enjoy my log smoke and diesel fumes (stand by for the standard apology from EST below -
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We'll pass it on to our team and will respond shortly). An utter waste of taxpayers money. How about this.....the gov tax me less, waste less of my money on clowns like EST, and I go and buy the eco tech myself? Where would we be without schemes like this to keep utterly useless morons in employment?

My first call to the company was a great experience, the person I spoke to was really helpful and informative. Filled in the form and submitted it within hours of receiving it. Since the initial call I have contacted them around 5 time and have be told it would take 4 weeks, there is a high volume of requests, there is a backlog, you will get a call soon. This request was submitted over six weeks ago and still nothing. I would love to get the work started and save energy ASAP as this is the reason I want everything done.

Very slow with processing my application. I submitted it over 2 weeks ago and its still only at stage. Also, when I call, I get someone with a very strong foreign accent which is difficult to understand. They had to repeat everything as I couldn't catch what they said. And they say my name isn't on the quote when it is. Come on HES! I'm keen to get moving on this.

On 9 November I phoned HES to enquire if the appointment for their engineer to carry out the Home selector report / assessment on my property was still going ahead for 10 November.

The advisor who answered my call took a considerable amount of time asking me questions including the systems to be installed, my name and address, the company installing the system etc, only to tell me at the end that he could not help me because they are too busy and that I needed to send an email.

I was told the email will be responded to

I have so far sent the email to a week ago but have not received a response.

The 10 November appointment never happened (no one came to my home, or phoned me despite that I had to wait all day at home). No one was courteous enough to call me, text me or email me, to advise me that the appointment has been cancelled and when they intend to have the next appointment.

As of today, I do not have any info regarding the next scheduled appointment, or if it will ever happen. I am in the dark.

I do not know whether the appointment is a telephone appointment or a home visit. If its a home visit and since I do not know the date, someone may come home without my knowledge and may find no one at home.

I can only sum up the situation at the moment as ... I am waiting in limbo

HESGL11024852 application submitted months ago no response. Very dissapointing.

I am waiting for over 3 weeks and have not yet heard back. Promised that someone would phone me in 2 weeks to do energy survey on phone. disapointed.

Please think before you apply for anything from this shambles! Now 10 weeks since I applied, was granted a simple bike loan on the 13th October, got the bike & uploaded everything on the 18th October was told it would be sorted by the 1st of November, on the 8th of November was told I hadn’t uploaded anything & my account was on hold so redone it all again & still waiting but as I have paid for a bike (as I needed to do that to get an invoice) i have been left with a bill to pay. Think the bike will be getting sold & back to my car as it’s less hassle & a complaint sent to the Scottish Government.

Despite attending to all aspects of the required queries and contract details regarding our order to install solar panels to our house, then confirming that we wish to proceed to get loan funding, the absence of replies and prompt attention to the procedures by the Trust ( in particular as we forwarded a £3000 deposit to the contractor THREE months ago ), the total lack of progress has, frankly, been atrocious. Can you please confirm that you will turn our frustration into action as a matter of decency?

Donald and Carol Ford, 14 Tayside Street, Carnoustie DD7 6AX.

Been months just trying to have EV application processed , this AFTER Loan been agreed. Incompetent. Never reply to email or phone calls. Have lost opportunity to purchase two vehicles now due their inability to deliver their own process. Something needs done if this Scheme is to work and prove useful. Absolute joke 😡

We have contacted HES at least five times over the last four weeks with no luck,each time the call was answered by a third party who take our details, why we are calling, then tell us HES is very busy but will get back to us, which they haven’t. The third party also advise to email HES which we have also done with no luck.

Good at giving advice on what energy products there are, slow to process paperwork. I'm still waiting on my home renewable report so my application can be processed, need to be faster processing.

Home Energy Scotland

On paper a great scheme. However it’s underperforming and very laborious. If my boiler was to break down tomorrow I could have a finance quote applied and accepted with new boiler installed within 48hrs. I however would like to go green save on energy and become less reliant on fossil fuels. This scheme is great in principle, it lacks common sense management and communication. It’s taken over 4 x months to get a response and I still have no fit date. I have spoken to my installer who have over 200 customers in the same boat. How can the government set out targets and make it impossible to install Renwable energy efficient products quickly. I have now just installed a new boiler, he’s more efficient than the previous however not what I wanted for my home. Why on earth would you clean green energy when it’s impossible to access the necessary grants available.

Very poor service from a scheme that could do sooo much better. I just hope this review throws some light and action is taken to improve this for the future.

The scheme in of itself is very good and provides funding for renewables that might not be otherwise affordable. The downside is that the scheme is very popular and trying to contact support staff is often very difficult at times but worth persevering.

The interest free loan helped us in making the decision to install renewables on our new build property. The help and advice given by Home Energy Scotland was very good, all the customer service team gave us great advice and help. I would highly recommend dealing with the Energy Saving Trust.

So, initial discussions with home energy was fine but after submitting my grant/loan application, which frankly was a nightmare it has been approximately 6 weeks and we have heard nothing.
I seriously don't understand the reason why consumers are forced to contact home energy when the installer could just work directly with them and make the overall experience and process so much better. I guess logic goes out the window when government is involved.

Ref No. 11049158 Still waiting on Home renewable selector report on my home to submit my application has been over a month since the original call , the person i spoke new all my details regarding my home said i qualified for grant/loan and a email will be sent including HRSP , have phoned and emailed , i need this report to attach and to submit my application , keep getting told we are really busy on all the calls i have made.