• Yetico, a manufacturer of construction products, may have misled its customers as to the properties of some of the Styrofoam insulation boards offered.
• The practices applied by the undertaking may have placed at a disadvantage those consumers who wished to provide their homes with adequate thermal insulation.
• The UOKiK has commenced proceedings following the receipt of notifications from the General Inspector of Building Control, who pointed towards a number of irregularities.

According to the provisions of applicable laws, the entity which introduces construction materials to the market shall prepare a declaration of performance for every such product offered. As a result, an undertaking operating in this sector shall also be responsible for ensuring that the products remain consistent with the information provided.

The General Office of Building Control has commissioned a series of laboratory tests which proved that some of the products offered by the company Yetico did not in fact possess the characteristics specified in the applicable declaration of performance.

Most of the irregularities found pertained to Styrofoam boards used, inter alia, as thermal insulation. The products designated as Alfa Fasada and Gamma Passive Fasada were shown to have a lower level of tensile strength than stated in the declaration. A similar issue arose with respect to Aqua EPS P120, as this product was found to have a lower level of compression strength than declared. The product known as Beta Fasada, on the other hand, was found to have a higher level of thermal conduction than declared by the manufacturer, leading to more rapid heat loss.

The indication of incorrect parameters may have placed those consumers who sought to ensure adequate thermal insulation of their homes at a risk of loss. This is because if those consumers knew the actual parameters of the products, they may have decided not to purchase them. They may also have incurred the costs related to heat loss caused by lack of adequate insulation or the replacement of the defective products – says Marek Niechciał, President of the UOKiK.

Following the receipt of information concerning the alleged irregularities, the UOKiK has decided to commence the proceedings concerning the infringement of the collective interests of consumers. Should the allegations be confirmed, the Competition Authority may order that the practice be discontinued and the results thereof be rectified, as well as impose a fine of up to 10% of the turnover generated by the undertaking in the previous year.

Anyone who has suspicion that a construction product does not have the properties stated in the declaration of performance should notify the General Inspector of Building Control. The General Inspector is the authority competent with respect to construction products and market supervision.

Additional information for the media:

Press Office of the UOKiK
Pl. Powstańców Warszawy 1, 00-950 Warszawa
Phone: 22 55 60 430
Email: biuroprasowe@uokik.gov.pl

Twitter: @UOKiKgovPL