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REAL and REA stand firm over legal threat

Renewable Energy Assurance Ltd (REAL) and the Renewable Energy Association (REA) have responded to a High Court claim made against them for allegedly acting beyond their powers, showing bias and interfering with legitimate companies.

Legal action is being brought by Crystal Doors and Windows over what it calls a failure to act ‘fairly, reasonably or impartially’ and against the interests of the renewable energy industry. It accuses the two parties, who run the consumer code for the small-scale renewables sector and have been chosen to help regulate the Green Deal scheme, of incompetence and targeting companies with a campaign of disruption.

In a statement released yesterday, REA and REAL say they will ‘defend the court proceeding robustly’. They added:

“Renewable Energy Assurance Ltd (REAL) runs a Consumer Code for the small-scale renewables sector approved by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). The purpose of its Code is to maintain the highest standards of consumer protection in the sector.

“REAL has been working with both parties to resolve a complaint from a consumer against Crystal Windows and Doors. The complaint remains unresolved.

“During this process, Crystal has started legal proceedings against REAL regarding its administration of the Code.  REAL treats any attempt to challenge the consumer safeguards under the Code very seriously and will defend the court proceedings robustly.

“The claim against REAL’s parent company, the Renewable Energy Association (REA), misrepresents historic events well-known to members at the time and resolved to their satisfaction.”