An Installer or Designer’s Conduct

Concerns about the conduct of an SAA accredited installer or designer

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If you have had an issue with the way an SAA accredited installer or designer acted or communicated, SAA may be able to help. 

The Code of Conduct for Accredited Persons (available on our Scheme Administration web page) sets out how SAA accredited installers and designers are expected to behave when carrying out their work and dealing with homeowners. The types of conduct SAA can consider are explained below. 

Your complaint will need to identify the SAA accredited installer or designer and include evidence showing what occurred. This helps us understand the complaint and determine if the Code of Conduct for Accredited Persons may have been breached. 

SAA applies a one-year eligibility limit to conduct complaints and generally does not assess conduct that occurred more than one year ago. 

SAA accredits individual installers and designers, rather than solar retailers or companies. This means your complaint must be about the conduct of an identifiable SAA accredited installer or designer. If your concern is about the retailer or company, please visit A Solar Retailer or Company for information about other complaint options.

Types of conduct complaints

SAA accredited installers and designers are expected to act professionally and treat  everyone on site with courtesy, respect, honesty and integrity. 

SAA can investigate complaints  about: 

  • rude, aggressive or intimidating behaviour
  • swearing or offensive language
  • disrespectful or inappropriate communication
  • behaviour that makes someone feel unsafe
  • other unprofessional or unethical conduct

SAA accredited installers and designers are expected to provide honest and accurate  information. 

SAA can investigate complaints accredited professionals that relate to: 

  • their accreditation status or qualifications
  • their attendance or involvement in the work
  • the services provided
  • pricing, system performance or warranty claims
  • fees or commissions

SAA accredited installers and designers must only carry out work they are accredited, licensed and authorised to perform. 

SAA can investigate complaints about an SAA accredited installer or designer who: 

  • carried out work outside the type of work covered by their accreditation
  • carried out work while their accreditation was suspended
  • did not hold a required electrical or other licence
  • did not hold the required insurance

The Code of Conduct for Accredited Persons prohibits SAA accredited installers and designers from providing services beyond the scope of their accreditation or carrying out work while an SAA sanction prevents them from doing so. It also requires them to hold the necessary licences and insurance. 

Electrical licences are issued and managed by state and territory authorities. If your complaint involves an electrical licence, please also report it to the relevant authority. 

SAA accredited installers and designers are expected to respond to homeowner complaints in a timely, professional and courteous way. They must also consider reasonable options for resolving the complaint. 

SAA can investigate complaints if an SAA accredited installer or designer: 

  • did not respond within a reasonable time
  • responded in an unprofessional or discourteous way
  • did not consider reasonable options to resolve the complaint
  • did not offer appropriate rectification or an apology, where relevant

This applies to the individual SAA accredited installer or designer. If the solar retailer or company is not responding, please visit A Solar Retailer or Company.

If your concern is about the safety, design or installation of your solar or battery system, please visit My Solar or Battery Installation.

SAA accredited installers and designers are expected to take reasonable care when attending a homeowner’s property. 

SAA can investigate complaints if an SAA accredited installer or designer: 

  • did not take reasonable care while at the property
  • left the property in an unsafe or untidy condition
  • caused damage and did not offer a reasonable way to address it

SAA accredited installers and designers are expected to keep personal information they receive while providing their services private and secure. 

SAA can investigate complaints if an SAA accredited installer or designer shared or disclosed: 

  • your name or contact details
  • information about you or your property
  • documents or other personal information you provided

This does not apply where the information had to be disclosed by law or you gave written permission for it to be shared. 

SAA accredited installers and designers are expected to provide their services with proper regard for the homeowner’s interests and disclose anything that could influence the advice or services they provide. 

SAA can investigate complaints about an SAA accredited installer or designer: 

  • receiving an undisclosed commission, payment or benefit
  • recommending a product because of a connection with the supplier or manufacturer
  • having a personal, business or financial interest that was not disclosed
  • accepting a gift that may have influenced their recommendation

A conflict may be actual, potential or perceived. The Code of Conduct for Accredited Persons requires conflicts that cannot reasonably be avoided to be disclosed to SAA. 

Complaint process

Find out what you need to provide, how SAA will assess your complaint and the possible outcomes.

To help SAA assess your complaint, please provide the following when completing the online complaint form: 

  • the full name and SAA accreditation number of the installer or designer
  • the relevant section and clause of the Code of Conduct for Accredited Persons for each issue
  • a clear description of what happened
  • when and where each issue occurred
  • the outcome you are seeking for each issue
  • evidence supporting each issue

You can include up to five conduct issues in one complaint. If you are submitting the complaint on someone else’s behalf, you must provide their written authority to submit and discuss it. 

Evidence may include copies of emails, text messages, photographs, documents or other records showing what occurred. 

The information and evidence you provide helps SAA understand what happened and assess if the Code of Conduct for Accredited Persons may have been breached.  

If the complaint involves possible criminal conduct or an immediate risk to someone’s safety, contact the police or relevant authority first. You can still submit a complaint to SAA about the conduct of an SAA accredited installer or designer, but we may need to wait for the outcome of any police or relevant authority’s investigation before progressing the complaint. 

If your concern is about the safety, design or installation of your solar or battery system, please visit My Solar or Battery Installation.

Once you submit the complaint form, SAA will review your complaint and supporting evidence to confirm that: 

  • the complaint is about an SAA accredited installer or designer
  • sufficient information and evidence have been provided
  • the conduct falls within the SAA Code of Conduct for Accredited Persons.

If SAA’s initial assessment indicates that the complaint may involve a breach of the Code of Conduct for Accredited Persons, relevant details will be shared with the SAA accredited installer or designer so they have an opportunity to respond. 

SAA may need to request further information to help assess or progress your complaint. Usually a 3-month period is given to allow you to collect additional evidence. 

SAA aims to review additional information and let you know the outcome within 10 business days. Where an investigation is required we aim to respond with the outcome within 20 business days. Please note that some matters may take longer, and SAA will let you know the process and timeframes.

If the Code of Conduct for Accredited Persons has been breached, SAA can take the following actions on an individual’s accreditation depending on the seriousness of the breach:  applying demerit points, suspension or revoking an accreditation. 

Every complaint is reviewed and assessed against the SAA Complaints Management Policy to determine if the Code of Conduct for Accredited Persons has been breached. 

If you disagree with the complaint outcome, you can request an internal review in writing within 21 calendar days of receiving the outcome notification, subject to the applicable review requirements. The review considers how your complaint was assessed, investigated or determined. Refer to SAA Complaints Management Policy (on our Scheme Administration web page) for more information before submitting a request.

Submit a conduct complaint

If your complaint relates to the conduct of an SAA accredited installer or designer and you have supporting evidence, you can submit it below.

Submit a complaint

Frequently asked questions

Contact the police or relevant authority first if the matter may involve criminal conduct or an immediate risk to someone’s safety. 

If the matter also concerns the conduct of an SAA accredited installer or designer, you can still submit a complaint to SAA with supporting evidence. We will review the information provided but may need to wait for the outcome of any police or authority investigation before progressing the complaint.

The SAA accredited installer or designer may be listed on documents provided for your system, such as:

  • your electrical safety or compliance certificate
  • STC claim documents
  • installation or handover documents
  • emails or other correspondence about the installation

You can use the person’s name or accreditation number to check their accreditation using Is My Installer Accredited search.

If you only know the retailer or company, ask them to provide the name and accreditation number of the SAA accredited installer or designer responsible for the work. 

SAA can only assess a conduct complaint against an identifiable SAA accredited installer or designer. SAA does not accredit solar retailers or companies. 

Check the SAA accredited installer or designer’s details on your electrical safety or compliance certificate, STC claim documents or other installation records. If you only know the retailer, you can ask the retailer to provide the name and accreditation number of the person responsible. 

If your complaint relates only to the retailer or company, please visit A Solar Retailer or Company for information about other complaint options.

You can read the Code of Conduct for Accredited Persons on our Scheme Administration web page. It explains the standards SAA accredited installers and designers are expected to follow.

SAA applies a one-year eligibility limit to conduct complaints and generally does not assess conduct that occurred more than one year ago. For older matters, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information and evidence, verify what occurred, or provide the SAA accredited installer or designer with a fair opportunity to respond.

SAA assesses each complaint using the information and evidence provided. This allows us to consider the complaint fairly and determine whether the Code of Conduct for Accredited Persons may have been breached. 

Without supporting evidence, SAA cannot fairly assess the complaint or consider actions on an individual’s accreditation.

SAA will first review the information and evidence you provide. If SAA’s initial assessment indicates that the complaint may involve a breach of the Code of Conduct for Accredited Persons, relevant details of the complaint will be shared with the SAA accredited installer or designer so they have an opportunity to respond. 

SAA will not contact accredited individuals if they are not identified in the complaint submission.  

SAA will review your complaint and supporting evidence to determine if it can be assessed under the Code of Conduct for Accredited Persons. 

If it can, SAA will contact the SAA accredited installer or designer with the relevant information to give them an opportunity to respond. SAA will consider the available information and let you know the outcome. 

If a breach is found, SAA can take an action can on an individual’s accreditation. The action will depend on the nature and seriousness of the breach.