How Homeshift is responding to COVID—19

During this uncertain time we want to make sure that our customers are kept informed about any relevant information related to the service we provide and that we can be a source of support where needed.

Please read on for some FAQs and advice on keeping your energy consumption down.

Will Homeshift be business as usual?

Like many companies we are now a fully remote team and we have adapted our processes successfully to ensure minimal disruption to our day to day operations and the service you receive.

However some parts of our service require on-site presence of engineers at a customer’s premises and you should expect pre-booked appointments may have to be rescheduled at short notice. Our engineers will take necessary precautions when visiting your home. In the event that we do need to reschedule your appointment we appreciate your understanding during this period and we will look to rebook the appointment as soon as possible.

We will update you if and when anything significant changes.

Can I still reach you?

Our Customer Service team will still be contactable Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm and Saturdays 9am - 4pm on hello@homeshift.com

What happens if I’m worried about paying my bill?

We can accept one-off top-up payments from credit and debit cards.

In terms of short-term and long-term vulnerability, we will handle all enquiries with the utmost care and consideration for your welfare.

Please note we are not able to freeze or waive any payments due. Ignoring a payment that is due will ultimately result in recovery action being taken against you which can harm your credit score and make it difficult to obtain credit in the future.

In cases of genuine financial hardship, we may be able to help by rescheduling your payments to give you longer to pay what is owed.

Whether this is offered to you will be decided on a case by case basis and we will request your detailed financial data for the prior 6 months and we may also ask you to be audited via a third party in arriving at this decision.

What if my internet isn’t working?

If you have an issue with your internet service and we need to send an engineer out, we will do so within the constraints of our suppliers and government advice. We will keep you informed at all times about the status of any scheduled work and if we predict long term internet outages can supply you with a Dongle until our engineers are able to reach you.

Will my bills get higher now I’m at home?

Not necessarily. There are certain measures you can take to reduce your consumption including:

• If you have an electric heater, only keep it on if you are in the room. They are amongst one of the biggest single consumers of electrical energy so something to keep an eye on.
• Avoid using a clothes dryer, which consumes a lot of energy, and hang your clothes instead on racks or lines. It’s tempting to want to do more laundry while you’re in the house, but try and keep to the same frequency as usual, possibly less if you’re not having to dress to go out.
• Wear layers in the house. It makes a big difference to how much heat you need to use during the day.
• Keep an eye on the use of your dishwasher. You may be using more utensils in the kitchen but wash by hand where possible to prevent your use of the dishwasher going up.
• Bleed your radiators if you haven’t. This will ensure they are working as efficiently as they should be.
• Don’t fall into taking lots of baths now you’re at home. Showers are far more energy efficient.
• Defrost your freezer. If it’s at the point where lots of ice has built up, it’s going to be using more energy than it should.

If there are questions we haven’t answered please don’t hesitate to reach out to hello@homeshift.com