Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading Standards' fee structure for the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 is set out below.
Page contents
- Business advice and information services
- Certificate of errors
- Explosives
- Environmental survey requests
- General
- Out of hours working
- Petroleum spirit
- Weighbridge operator certificate
- Weights and measures verifications
- How to pay us
- Contact us
Business advice and information services
Guidance on our business advice and information services as well as Primary Authority - applicable fees and charges
Certificate of errors
Where a written certificate of errors is required for weights and measures equipment.
| Charge description | Fee chargeable |
|---|---|
| Provision of certificate containing results of errors found on testing | £100 plus VAT |
Explosives
Various charges are applicable as set nationally The Health and Safety and Nuclear (Fees) (Amendment) and Gas Safety (Miscellaneous Amendment) Regulations 2024 (legislation.gov.uk)
Please refer to the current fees.
Environmental survey requests
| Type of search | Fee chargeable |
|---|---|
| Site searches of premises where petroleum has been stored, whether or not information is held | £100 |
Copies of plans of premises subject to site search, where available, will be free of charge unless significant cost is involved in copying due to size or quantity. The enquirer will be informed of any such charge before work is commenced.
Records can be viewed at our offices in Reigate by appointment and no charge will be levied.
General
For all activities not specified otherwise, an hourly charge applies.
| Charge description | Fee chargeable |
|---|---|
| Hourly rate of charge | £100 plus VAT |
All hourly charges are charged in quarter hour units per officer with a minimum charge of half an hour per officer.
Third party expenses will be charged at cost, for instance experts, analysis or equipment. Travel time outside of Buckinghamshire and Surrey incurs an hourly rate plus mileage (45p per mile) or public transport rates as appropriate.
Out of hours working
This is offered subject to staff being available.
150% will be added to the fee applicable for all work carried out at the request of the submitter outside our standard operational hours. Standard operational hours are 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday and exclude Bank Holidays. For example, a £100 fee becomes £250.
Note, if multiple tasks, commenced within the normal hours of work, extend in to either of the above conditions, only that work done in the out of hours time should attract the enhancement. In this case, any call out charge will not require enhancement.
Petroleum spirit
Petroleum storage certificates are required to keep petroleum spirit, the applicable fees for petroleum registrations are set nationally and laid down in The Health and Safety and Nuclear (Fees) Regulations 2022 and The Health and Safety and Nuclear (Fees (Amendment) Regulations 2024
| Quantity to be stored | Fee for one year licence certificates |
|---|---|
| Quantity not exceeding 2,500 litres | £48 |
| Quantity exceeding 2,501 litres but not exceeding 50,000 litres | £65 |
| Quantity exceeding 50,001 litres | £137 |
In the case of a solid substance for which a certificate is required, the fee payable shall be calculated as if one kilogram of the substance were equivalent to one litre.
The fee for a certificate covers the administration of the issue of the certificate plus one site visit only. Further site visits required are charged at the prevailing hourly rate (see General fees). Where a certificate is required to cover less than a full year, the applicable fee for one year is the minimum charge.
The fees above reflect a one year period. For certificates issued for longer periods (up to 10 years), multiply the yearly fee by the number of years required. No discount is provided for multiple years.
Weighbridge operator certificate
The certification fee for a weighbridge operator is applicable whether or not the applicant is successful in the test and applies per application.
| Charge description | Fee chargeable |
|---|---|
| Certification of a weighbridge operator | £100 call out fee plus £100 per operator tested plus VAT |
| Supply of replacement certificate | £25 plus VAT |
Weights and measures verifications
Charges apply in all instances where an officer's attendance is required unless otherwise specified. All tests and inspections are charged at the prevailing hourly rate (see General fees) and fees apply from arrival on site to departure from the site.
Where officers attend at an appointed time and remain on site during a delay occurring before or during the test (and the delay is not attributable to Trading Standards), charging will apply during that delay.
A fee of one hour will be levied after carrying out a requested Weights and Measures spot check when no other fee is payable.
Trading Standards will specify if multiple officers are required to complete the test, this will be based on the nature of the test and test equipment. A second officer may be required, for example where instruments incorporate remote display or printing facilities or the capacity of the machine under test requires a significant volume of loose weights.
Where specialist third party equipment is required to complete the test (and not provided by the submitter), the charges incurred for supply of that equipment will be additional to the testing fee.
When calculating the charges, they will be influenced by whether one or more officers are required to conduct the test, whether a certificate is required and whether office transportation is used. Please contact us for further information.
VAT must be charged on all verification work except where the equipment is submitted under The Measuring Instruments (European Union Requirements) Regulations.
For weights and measures equipment we are unable to test, please contact Calibration Services at Kent County Council or an appropriate approved verifier.
How to pay us
After the Trading Standards Officer has completed the work on your business advice request, your business will be sent an invoice for any outstanding amount and you will have 28 days to pay. Invoicing is on a monthly basis.
Pay for business advice online
Select the general invoice section on the form of the link above.
You can make payment online or, if you would like to use internet or telephone banking, please make payment to "Surrey County Council" (HSBC, sort code 40-11-60, account number 80163880).
Your named officer will be able to offer further advice in respect of this. We regret that we are unable to accept cash for the services provided under the scheme.
For further information please see our terms and conditions.
Contact us
Business advice line Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm
- Telephone: 0300 123 2329
- Email: business.advice@surreycc.gov.uk
- Textphone (via Text Relay): 18001 0808 223 1133
- SMS: 07860 053465
