Posted: 11 April, 2013. Written by Virginia
The consumer code for the domestic renewable energy sector has changed its name from the ‘REAL Consumer Code’ to the ‘Renewable Energy Consumer Code’ (RECC). The new name better describes the nature and purpose of the Code, and better reflects the fact that the Code is just one of several schemes operated by Renewable Energy Assurance Ltd (REAL).
The Code is one of the first to be approved by the Trading Standards Institute (TSI) since responsibility for approving consumer codes transferred from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to the TSI on 1st April 2013, along with other existing codes which had previously been approved by the OFT. More details of the new Consumer Code Approval Scheme are available on the TSI website. Code members are entitled to use the Scheme logo developed by TSI.
All the arrangements in place for administering the Code remain unchanged. The previous name (‘REAL Consumer Code’) will be current and interchangeable with the new one (‘Renewable Energy Consumer Code’) for the rest of the year while REAL updates its materials and while Code members and stakeholders have a chance to update theirs and adjust to the new name. Code members’ materials and certificates showing the old logo will remain valid for the rest of the year.
To reflect these changes REAL has updated the Code’s website and amended the domain name. Traffic to the previous domain name will be automatically redirected to the new one and any links will remain active. In the coming weeks REAL will be changing company email addresses to reflect the new domain name. Once again, all email traffic will be automatically redirected. There should therefore be no perceptible difference to users.
As well as the Renewable Energy Consumer Code, REAL also administers the Biofertiliser Certification Scheme and Green Gas Certification Scheme in the anaerobic digestion sector; the Compost Certification Scheme, Compostable Packaging Certification and ‘Home Compostable’ Certification in the organics recycling sector; and is responsible, as part of the Green Deal Oversight and Registration Body with Gemserv, for the Green Deal Code of Practice. REAL will shortly be launching its own website, distinct from the RECC website, with links to all the schemes it runs.