The UK government is progressively introducing a requirement for energy performance certificates (EPCs) for house sales and commercial and rented properties and, ultimately, there is expected to be a requirement for up to 7.5 million surveys each year.
The certificates are commissioned by the property owner or their agent and report how energy efficient a home is on an A-G scale, where A is the most efficient and G is the least efficient. The certificates include recommendations on how to improve the home’s energy efficiency. The average property in the UK is reportedly in the D or E band.
Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) is recruiting and retaining accredited domestic energy assessors to visit properties, collect the relevant data and create the certificates. SSE will initially provide the service in southwest England and south Wales, with the service available nationwide during 2009, by which point the utility expects to employ or retain a network of 500 assessors across the country.
In addition to the standard accreditation, SSE’s assessors will have to undertake additional training in health and safety, customer service, and improved survey techniques and care, use and calibration of equipment.
