Comments on: Is your Domestic Energy Assessment being carried out correctly?

By: sara

sara — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Hi Admin,
My ladlord just had an energy assesment surveyor at my house even though he had assured me that the property would continue be available for rent for a good while to come. Now I am concerned. The house had already been the subject of an energy efficiency grant, so what could be his motive?
Grateful for your advice,
sara.

By: Lawrence Hooper

Lawrence Hooper — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 22:08:02 +0000

Just for information purposes, Commercial Energy Assessment is much harder than Domestic. I have completed both courses and it is the level of detail and data input that makes the commercial side far more labour intensive.
I read in an NHER bulletin that around 80% of properties (not sure if that’s domestic/commercial or both) are being advertised without an EPC.
I hope that the CLG clamp down on this otherwise it will render all of the training that I have undertaken pointless, not to mention undermine the low carbon goal of the current government.

By: Mike Crompton

Mike Crompton — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 21:41:21 +0000

This is the area that CLG need to get tough on - it is the requirement that the acreditation bodies satisfactorily audit the reports submitted by their members.
It is obviously not happening enough.
Only when the public are assured that action is taken against those who choose to short cut the assessment process will this Industry gain any respect - not just with the public but with other professionals within the same sector & outside.

By: admin

admin — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 07:22:44 +0000

Hi John,

The intention of the post was to raise awareness of what a DEA should be doing. In the future we may possibly write an article related to a commercial assessment.

We have been concerned about recent reports we have read where it has been reported that a small number of assessors have not carried out the assessment correctly. For eg Not looking in the loft space when accessible and one company not even carrying out a site visit. They were promoting the client completing a questionnaire and an EPC was produced from these details.

Am sure you would agree this type of practice is not helpful to the industry. With more awareness of the DEA role comes more understanding and respect towards the process.

By: Mike Duxbury

Mike Duxbury — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 17:27:04 +0000

As a DEA working in S.Wales, I totally agree that Homeowners and Landlords should be absolutely confident that the EPC is carried out rigorously and professionally and any questions are welcome.

I also believe that the Government and other professional working in this sector should expend more effort in promoting the benefit and need for EPCs to the tenant so that they can request to see them. My experience is that few Tenants know anything about them, and that Landlords will avoid commissioning them if they can get away with it- they also are often not aware of the legal requirements for EPCs and Trading Standards are not pursuing those who do not commission and Tenants are not reporting this shortfall.

By: John Oldfield

John Oldfield — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:40:39 +0000

Why post this blog? Exactly the same questions should be asked of a Commercial Assessor. You imply some sort of superiority over a DEA, based on no grounds whatsoever. Many DEA’s are also NDEA’s, or are in training, where does that leave your theory?
As with any other industry, there will be a proportion of NDEA’s who will also cut corners!