Energy Matters - Issue 11

ENERGY MATTERS

Elmhurst Giving Back

Foreword

Stuart Fairlie Managing Director Elmhurst Energy

Hello and welcome to the latest edition of Energy Matters.

I hope that you and your family have had a good break over the festive period and now that 2023 has started, what better way than reading this edition to highlight what is coming down the track!

Firstly, we are very excited for our national conference on the 25th January in the King Power Stadium, Leicester. We have a great line up of industry leaders and government officials, who will be able to give us excellent insights into the future of energy efficiency in the built environment. This year we are also celebrating our 30th anniversary; this is a highlight for the conference but also something we will celebrate throughout the year.

At the conference, we will be giving more information and details about the merger of Stroma Certification and Elmhurst, and outlining all our exciting plans for the year ahead.

For those that cannot make it, we will of course be running conferences elsewhere in the UK, and cannot wait to start organising these in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. We will as always keep everyone

fully up to date with all the news and plans for the merger with regular communications.

With our history of 30 years, people are still surprised when we tell them that Elmhurst and some of our members were around providing energy reports for people’s homes and buildings before Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) were invented. They ask what is the difference? The honest answer is not much. We have created energy reports detailing the energy efficiency of homes for over 30 years, advocating recommendations that would see a reduction in fuel bills and/or carbon emissions.

In many ways this is why our conference is titled ‘Looking Back, Moving Forward’ - we know how to solve the dilemma of fuel bills, carbon emissions or a reduction in energy in all buildings throughout the UK, we just need to get on with it.

Clearly, we all recognise that fuel prices dominate the headlines; this is something we feel passionately about. We all know that to ensure energy efficient buildings owners and occupiers need to know the important role that all our members play in this whether this is asset calculations, occupancy models, retrofit, U-Values, air testing, ventilation, Psi-Values etc.

The back drop of climate change, the race to net zero, fuel security and prices are just accelerating the demand for answers and solutions. I keep repeating myself and say that each building is different and the occupants’ behavior is different in each of those buildings. Therefore, we need to make sure that asset calculations remain the bedrock of good decision-making and that we can tailor recommendations to help with the overall asset and to benefit the occupants in the home or business. This is not rocket science.

We very much look forward to the EPC Action Plan consultation, which is coming soon from DLUHC, with a wide remit to ensure that Energy Certificates are improved and above all are then used to begin the next steps for those buildings

This year will likely see the introduction of RdSAP10 coming later in the year; this is essential to ensure that the methodology is kept up to date with current fuel prices, carbon emissions as well as new innovations; this following on from the update to SAP and SBEM methodologies.

We have also seen a huge rise in movements by Lenders to understand the opportunity and risk they have with people’s homes and businesses, the increasing news of green mortgages, incentives and legal

requirements on lending on energy inefficient buildings - this will only accelerate this year.

At the same time, we are all conscious that we are very quickly heading towards a green electricity grid, the necessary shifts required to head towards net zero, and this is central to Government policy and thinking.

Certainly here at Elmhurst we have noticed a big uplift in media attention towards energy assessments, something which is very important. I know we have had articles in the Times Newspaper, iNews, as well as the BBC news in some of the regions - all in an effort to promote our members and the importance of energy assessments and certificates.

All this means more value to the product and service that all Elmhurst members produce. The idea that some people saw them as pieces of paper to put in the drawer, has long past; they are the cornerstone of good decision making, the requirement within regulations and lending decisions and people’s perceptions of purchasing or renting premises is fundamentally changing - all for the better.

We all continue to lead this industry, ensure that our members continue to be the best in class and add value to this incredibly important part of the economy.

We will certainly ensure that the focus this year is on helping people solve this conundrum and for people to have more efficient, warmer, cheaper and greener homes and businesses moving forward.

I hope you have a great 2023 and I will see as many of you as possible at the conference and

any events that we have lined up throughout the year.

Wishing you a healthy and prosperous New Year.

Elmhurst Energy

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Stuart Fairlie Managing Director

Elmhurst Giving Back

Charity Events

Phenna Group, of which Elmhurst is a part, launched their Charity Matching Programme in April 2022 and in just 8 months they have contributed to an abundance of charities to an incredible total of £60,000. The Charity Matching Programme allows Phenna to provide support to group employees raising money for a registered charity. Once approved, Phenna will match money raised up to £1,000.

Charities to date below include:

Elmhurst Energy has pledged to become a net zero carbon company. Over the past 3 years we have significantly reduced our carbon emissions from our head office in Lutterworth, car travel and flights. To further offset our carbon emissions, in 2021 we funded the Woodland Trust to plant 140 trees. Minimising emissions is far better than offsetting, therefore we have a dedicated plan to accomplish this for our office.

It’s been a busy year at Elmhurst for our staff members, getting involved in activities outside of their usual habitat; a few months ago the stage was given to staff to present a proposal to the company on ‘giving something

back’. Out of the 3 presentations, staff selected conservation as the winning proposal, which involved swapping a day at the office for a day in the woods.

We had a very successful first conservation day comprising of 14 volunteers in September 2022, where they repaired a damaged woodland path to enable easy access to all visitors to enjoy the natural greenspace. This day not only provided a volunteering service, but it was also a great team building exercise and has encouraged our staff to think about what they can do in their spare time to help the environment.

With this in mind, we have pledged to participate in future conservation days in the New Year to dedicate our support for the local environment and to raise awareness of the conservation opportunities.

n Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund

n Cardiff Children's Hospice

n Cancer Research UK - Joel Ashby, Stroma

n Parkinson's UK - Ellie Meads, Elmhurst

n Mental Health Awareness (Australia)

n Poole Hospital

n Mary O'Gara Foundation

n Veterans Mental HealthGordon Robinson, Elmhurst

Currently the Lutterworth Team is raising money for Dementia UK through social fundraising events including our Halloween Bake Off/ staff skill raffle and Christmas Jumper Day. Next year we are looking forward to coming together in selecting our new chosen charity.

Ellie Meads, Technical Consultant

MAIN FEATURE

www.elmhurstenergy.co.uk

Elmhurst’s 30th Anniversary Conference

On 25th January Elmhurst will be holding its largest ever conference to celebrate our 30th Anniversary.

By Stuart Fairlie, Managing Director

The conference: Looking Back, Moving Forward will be examining what has happened in the energy efficiency sector over the past 30 yearsand what we can expect for the next 30 years ahead!

We’re really excited by the excellent line up of speakers we’ve got, all of them experts in their subject area and respected industry figures.

The line-up includes:

n Will Arnold - Head of Climate Action at the Institution of Structural Engineers.

n Professor David GlewDirector of the Leeds Sustainability Institute at Leeds Beckett University.

n Dr Gavin Dunn - Chief Executive of Chartered Association of Building Engineers

n Oliver Novakovic - Technical and Innovation Director at Barratt Developments plc

n Keeran Jugdoyal - Head of the Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations at Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC)

We’ll also have a talk on RdSAP 10 from Elmhurst’s Existing Dwellings Team, who will be sharing information on updated fuel prices.

Looking back on the last 30 years it’s clear that we already have the answers to today’s problems; we have the trained workforce, methodologies, and technologies to accurately measure the energy efficiency of the UK’s buildings. And as we always say, what isn’t measured isn’t managed.

The conference will also be an opportunity to welcome Stroma members into the Elmhurst family, following the merger between the two companies. Let’s be honest, people rarely enjoy change! But we’ve been embracing the merger as an opportunity to combine the best of both schemes to provide an even better experience for Elmhurst and Stroma members alike.

For Stroma members attending the conference: first of all, thank you for coming along and we’re looking forward to meeting you there. There’ll be plenty of Elmhurst staff to talk to about software, training and any questions you might have.

Andy Parkin, Managing Director of Stroma Certification, will be present at the conference to compere, so should be a familiar face.

Incidentally both Andy and I sat down to record a podcast where we took a few quick fire questions from members, which can be

viewed at www.stroma.com/ certification/news/podcast-s2-e9

As we celebrate 30 years as a company, it’s important to reflect back on how the company has evolved from a small family-run company on a farm - to over 80 employees in our current premises in Lutterworth.

Despite the growth, we’ve never lost that ‘family business’ ethos and the reason many people stay with us is because we’re described as a friendly company who want to do the best for its staff and members. One such staff member, Lisa, joined the company aged 16 where her duties also included chasing after cows and chickens that would occasionally break loose on the farm. 25 years on and needless to say her duties have changed somewhat!

I joined the company over 20 years ago and stayed because of the excitement of working for (at

the time) a small company when the energy efficiency industry was in its infancy. Back then I was very much a jack of all trades, master of none, as everyone got their hands dirty with different tasks. But it also gave me exposure to different sides of the business and it was inspiring to work alongside people who believed so passionately in what they were doing.

Since that time the company has evolved from when Rod Pattison and Bob Love created Elmhurst Energy in 1993, named after and operated from Rod’s organic farm in Warwickshire, to the multi million pound business it is today, with over 9000 members.

Elmhurst has always been known for quality, which was an ethos instilled by Rod. That has carried on to this day and is the reason why we invest so much in our staff and members, ensuring they’re the best they can be.

So, to all our members, thank you very much for your continued hard work. It can’t be stressed enough the difference you are making in the UK’s journey towards net zero, and making a cleaner, better world for us all to live in. The past 30 years have gone in the blink of an eye, and as a company we’re very much looking forward to the next 30 with a renewed sense of purpose. And finally - I hope to see you at the conference!

Looking back on the last 30 years it’s clear that we already have the answers to today’s problems...

An update on MEES

By Damien Roberts, Existing Dwellings Manager

The domestic Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) Regulations form part of the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015 and are a requirement of the Energy Act 2011. The Regulations apply to certain privately rented dwellings let on a tenancy (i.e. not a licence) and do not apply to the social housing sector.

Currently, privately rented dwellings must have a minimum Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of Band E. Landlords may, of course, aim to achieve a higher rating should they wish.

This means that, subject to certain requirements and exemptions:

n From 1st April 2018, landlords of relevant domestic private rented properties were not legally able to grant a tenancy to new or existing tenant(s) if their property has an EPC rating of Band F or G.

n From 1st April 2019 if an existing tenant moves out and the existing EPC has an F or G rating, the landlord cannot legally commence a new tenancy without carrying out measures to improve the energy efficiency of the dwelling, and can no longer lodge an exemption based on the grounds of ‘no upfront costs’. The current cost cap for the landlord is £3500. At this point the landlord could, if the

property has not reached the minimum EPC rating, apply for an exemption via the PRS exemptions register.

n From 1st April 2020, landlords must not continue to let a relevant domestic property which is already let, if that property has an EPC rating of Band F or G.

These requirements also apply where the property is to be sub-let.

At the end of 2020, the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) released a consultation on raising the energy performance of domestic PRS properties due to concerns over poor performance and tenants being in fuel poverty. The proposal from BEIS was to raise the minimum rating to EPC band C by 2025 for new tenancies and by 2028 for all tenancies. To achieve this, a new landlords’ cost cap of £10,000 would be introduced, with similar exemption processes as the current standard which include improvements for the property have been completed (or there are none that can be carried out) and the property remains below an EPC Band C.

This month BEIS confirmed that there have been delays to releasing the results of the consultation and a final decision due to internal departmental changes. However, discussions are now taking place within government on the best approach to update MEES but there are no commitments to a timeframe.

Non-Domestic MEES

By Josh Wakeling, Operations Manager

Since 2018 it has been unlawful to grant new leases for private rented commercial properties with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating below an ‘E’. This scope will be expanded further in 2023 to include existing leases*.

*Note - If the EPC has expired or no EPC exists/haven’t legally been required to obtain an EPC then they don’t need to meet the E rating until the EPC is legally triggered.

The government has also established a long term target of EPC rating B for all private rented commercial properties by 2030, with the industry waiting on how this will be implemented. The government has proposed that this standard be raised with interim targets of EPC rating D by 2025 and C by 2028, however this has yet to be confirmed. This is estimated to cover around 85% of the non-domestic rented stock, deliver up to 10.3TWh in energy savings by 2030, and 4.1MtCO2e of carbon (non-traded) over Carbon Budget 5 (2028-2032).

Modelling suggests bill savings to business in 2030 would be around £1 billion. In total, it is anticipated that the trajectory would deliver an overall net present value of £2.5 billion to the UK economy!

The UK’s Industrial Strategy set out how the Government intends to build a Britain fit for the future. Clean growth - meaning growing the national income while cutting

greenhouse gas emissions - is at the heart of the industrial strategy. As one of the UK’s ‘Grand Challenges’, its success relies on the UK being able to maximise the advantages of the global shift towards low carbon. MEES has a vital role to play in this wider goal.

Following the consultation “EPC B Future Trajectory Implementation” there are a number of areas government is dedicated to commit to improving, these include:

n Improve the implementation of the payback test and general enforcement of the regulations - Proposed a national standardised calculator tool.

n Improve how the regulations currently apply to older buildings and to premises rented in a shell and core state - Proposed a temporary 6 month renovation exemption.

n Introduce a compliance window approach designed to simplify compliance and enforceme.

Government suggested the outcome to this consultation would be published late 2021, yet we are still waiting!

https://assets.publishing.service.go v.uk/government/uploads/system/ uploads/attachment_data/file/8395 65/non-domestic-prsconsultation-ia.pdf

ECO 4: Where are we now?

By Simon Flint, Retrofit Support Team Leader

Following a number of delays caused by uncertainty around legislation, political changes and clarification from OFGEM, we have finally seen an increase in ECO 4 submissions as industry starts to engage with the new processes and requirements of the scheme.

As you may already be aware, Elmhurst lobbied strongly for the inclusion of EPCs in the ECO 4 process but were ultimately not successful. It has now finally been confirmed that Energy Reports and the documents produced from them are to be used by Retrofit Coordinators as part of their submissions to TrustMark.

It has also been confirmed that these Energy Reports will be required at both the start and end of the ECO 4 process.

Although there are a number of differences between ECO 4 and its predecessor ECO 3, our concern is that the funding mechanism is still measure-led which means the supply chain are motivated to search for

properties to meet their solution, and then engineer a Retrofit Plan to justify it. This needs a radical rethink as the start point needs to be a fully funded Retrofit Assessment and a Retrofit Plan, only then can the correct measures be determined.

The fact that one of the key differences from ECO 3 to 4 is the requirement to improve a property by two SAP bands to achieve the maximum funding means that we are already seeing evidence that the average number of measures per property is significantly higher. This in turn puts even more emphasis on a quality assessment and a Retrofit Coordinator who is looking at what is best for the property, not just what funding is available.

As we go to print, a new consultation has been published by government following the announcement of another funding stream ECO +.

This will be worth £1 billion over the next three years. The scheme will mainly target Band D properties or lower and offer them a low cost insulation improvement measure. The aim is to improve 410,000 properties over the three year period but unlike ECO 4 it is suggested that this process will need EPCs.

Only after the consultation is closed and a final version is issued will we be able to confirm full details but anything that improves our housing stock and reduces fuel bills should be encouraged.

Promoting our Members

One of the greatest benefits of being a member with Elmhurst is having the full weight of the UK’s largest scheme for Energy Assessors out there promoting you.

The last few months we’ve been hitting the road, going out to LABC, CABE and the PEPA conference to name a few!

It’s been great meeting both members and new faces at these events, where we have delivered talks and engaged with industry professionals to highlight the work of our members. Hopefully you have seen our new website,

where we have spent months developing our ‘Find an Assessor’ tool, which we believe is the most extensive tool for finding an Energy Assessor in the UK.

You’ll find us promoting our Find an Assessor Tool at most events we attend, giving attendees access to a network of over 9,000 Energy Assessors! Members of the public and industry professionals can filter their searches by region, building type, professions and post code, to provide them with the contact details of relevant Energy Assessors.

So far we’ve had brilliant feedback regarding the new tool, where people can rest assured they are using the services of properly trained and accredited energy professionals.

Another way we promote the work of our members is through our PR efforts; some of you may have caught our Managing

on BBC Look East discussing Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and heat pumps. When it comes to engaging with the media and members of the public, the starting point is invariably education - usually about EPCs and the metrics they’re based on.

Stuart

After all, if we want to make the jump from energy efficiency programmes aimed at social housing and the private rented sector to owner occupied initiatives then people need to first understand what an EPC is.

And no, it’s not your fuel bill!

However, we are positive that awareness around energy efficiency is growing among the general public - be it for domestic, new build or commercial properties. And we will always recommend using our members’ services to understand their properties’ EPC.

Director

Fairlie

Elmhurst members share Energy Saving Tips

Top 5 Energy Saving Tips from DEA members:

1. Install loft insulation

An uninsulated roof leaks 25% of home heat. Loft insulation costs vary by material, starting from £5/m2 for blanket insulation at the 270mm required depth - or £150 to £285 for an average midterrace. It can also be DIY installed, with protective clothing, while average labour will cost £250/day to do the work.

Saving: Up to £330 a year

2. Use a programmable thermostat - at a

270 Elmhurst DEAs answered our questionnaire on what their top tips were for reducing energy use - providing a total of 800 recommendations! We identified what the top 5 were and calculated they could save bill payers an annual average saving of £782.

Most combi boilers have programmable thermostats to set temperatures automatically. DEAs recommend setting to 15-16 degrees at night and 18-20 degrees during the day,

depending on activity levels. Wireless programmers are ideal and can be located in the hall or the most used room, but radiators must be set in sync with the thermostat.

Saving: £127 minimum per year per degree

3. Don't waste hot water

Free and simple to implement, DEAs recommended turning down the thermostat on the cistern to around 60 degrees, as well as making a raft of switches from bath to shower, boiling kettles using only the water needed and waiting to use dishwashers and washing machines until full.

Saving: Around £100 per year

4. Make the LED switch

Lighting a home can amount to 11% of the average bill. LED lightbulbs last up to 25 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs - depending on quality and use, so every 75watt incandescent bulb replaced with an LED can save around £10 a year, based on 503.5 hours’ average per year – the amount for a typical kitchen or lounge.

Saving: £100 per 10 bulbs switched to LED

5. Block out draughts

Draughtproofing is as simple as closing internal doors, especially when opening outside doors. For doors, use draught excluders, cover keyholes, use letterbox flaps or brushes and fit brush, foam or wiper strips around to fill gaps. Use strips for windows, a chimney draught excluder for unused fireplaces, consider a flexible filler for floorboards and check loft hatches are fully draughtproof.

Saving: £125 per year

Stuart Fairlie, Managing Director of Elmhurst Energy, said:

“The new energy price cap average of £2,500 still means a bill at least double the cost of 2021. Bill payers shouldn’t be fooled by the freeze into wasting energy, as they will still pay for the energy they use, meaning their bill could be significantly higher, especially if they live in a bigger, older home or have a larger family.

There are a mix of hugely effective measures to take. Loft insulation will make one of the biggest, immediate cuts to bills, but involves a higher up-front cost, especially if it means getting in someone to do the job. But proper insulation will more than make its money back in less than two years and will keep saving money from that point.

Many of the most effective measures are also free. One of the best energy-saving tips is simply to get to grips with your thermostat and programme it

correctly, using a consistent temperature - one for day, one for night. Dropping by just one degree can slash 10 per cent off a bill. And by using hot water sparingly, this can also dramatically cut energy usage as it reduces dependence on the boiler to fire up as much.”

The tips made the national press, finding their way into the Metro, Leicester Mercury and Cambridge news! This shows how much the general public value the advice of energy professionals and we’re proud that our members could offer practical advice on how to lower their energy bills at such a challenging time.

As energy security comes more to the fore due to the war in Ukraine, we would argue that addressing the UK’s ‘leaky’ housing stock should be the first port of call. With some of the oldest and least energy efficient housing in Europe, we can almost certainly do better.

Wales and Scotland introduce new Building Regulations

of Building Standards to be introduced shortly. Section 6 2022 will be introduced on 1st February 2023 and contains some key changes from the previous Section 6 standards.

Section 6 2022 will see a reduction in carbon emissions of 37% compared to a dwelling constructed to the previous standards. There will also be the introduction of a new delivered energy metric to sit alongside the retained carbon emissions metric for all new homes.

By Jason Hewins, New Dwellings Manager

Following the introduction of Part L 2021 for England in the summer of 2022, Wales has also introduced an update to its version of Part L in November.

Part L 2022 for Wales saw a number of changes to the energy efficiency standards applied to building work. For new dwellings there will be a 32% reduction in carbon emissions where a dwelling is built to Part L 2022, compared to the previous regulations. Part L 2022 also sees the introduction of the new primary energy and minimum energy efficiency rating metrics alongside the retained carbon metric. The minimum standards for building fabric and services have also been tightened to ensure good quality construction and efficient services are installed.

Like England, airtightness testing is now mandatory in all new

dwellings, and a new compliance report, the Building Regulations Wales Part L (BRWL), must be signed by the developer and SAP assessor at as built stage. There is also the requirement for photographic evidence to be taken during the build process and submitted to both the SAP assessor and Building Control Body in order to ensure the SAP assessment reflects what has been constructed.

Elmhurst’s Design SAP 10 software was updated on the 23rd November following BRE approval to allow users to model assessments against the new compliance standards in Wales.

Scotland also has a new version

As in England and Wales, there has been a tightening of the minimum standards for building fabric and services. Airtightness testing is now mandatory in all new dwellings to ensure consistency of build quality and assurance that the ventilation system installed is appropriate for the level of airtightness in the dwelling.

Following BRE approval our Design SAP 10 software was updated on 16th December to allow users to assess the impact of Section 6 2022 on their SAP assessments. This gives industry seven weeks to prepare their designs for when the new standards are implemented on 1st February 2023.

This year has been unprecedented in that there has never been a change to Building Regulations in three regions of the UK in such a short time period. Whilst this has been very challenging for us, we are delighted that Design SAP 10 is fully BRE approved for England, Wales and Scotland assessments to the new regulations. We have plenty of exciting features planned for Design SAP 10 in 2023 and look forward to further developments of Building Regulations in the coming years.

“The u-value calculator will complete calculations for walls, roofs and floors in line with BS EN ISO 6946, 13370 and BR 443 standards.”

Elmhurst launches Online U-Value Software

In October this year Elmhurst launched a brand new U-Value calculator application. Unlike previous U-Value calculators that have been packaged within our Design SAP software, the new application is an independent module within our Access Elmhurst members’ area, making it simpler for users who only complete U-Value calculations to access the application.

However, we are mindful that many users of Design SAP also use the U-Value calculator, therefore there is a function to retrieve U-Values from the U-Value calculator into SAP assessments in our Design SAP 10 application.

The U-Value calculator will complete calculations for walls, roofs and floors in line with BS EN ISO 6946, 13370 and BR 443 standards. Kappa values can also be calculated which can then be used in SAP or SBEM assessments for more accurate assessment of thermal mass of building elements. There is an extension materials database available where you can select from generic building elements or from manufacturers products.

Of course we have further planned developments for the U-Value calculator in 2023. Further integration options with Design SAP 10 are expected, as well as implementing a condensation risk analysis tool. We will also review our materials database periodically to ensure that it is up to date with any new or revised products that manufacturers release.

Should you have any questions about the u-value calculator please contact the On Construction Support Team who will be happy to assist.

Telephone: 01455 883 236

From Energy Assessor to Residential Surveyor and Valuer

In 2021 the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) introduced the Home Survey Standard, which for the first time, required RICS members providing home surveys for purchasers to address EPCs and energy efficiency directly. Surveyors must know how an EPC is produced, be able to identify discrepancies between the published EPC and what they can see at the property, and advise clients on the suitability, or otherwise, of the recommendations. Therefore, with their understanding of how EPCs are calculated, Domestic Energy Assessors have a head start as Residential Surveyors. DEAs also have practical inspection experience giving them a great starting point to become surveyors.

Sava offers the Diploma in Residential Surveying and Valuation which is perfect for those looking to take the next step in their career. It provides part-time training meaning you can continue to work while you learn and gives you direct-entry into the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors once you are qualified. There is no need to have previous experience or a degree as the course provides you with everything you need.

Here at Sava, we have seen many DEAs train to become residential surveyors and join the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. We spoke to one of our graduates, Waseem Nabi, who was a Domestic Energy Assessor before he undertook the Sava Diploma in Residential Surveying and Valuation. We asked Waseem about his experience and journey below.

Waseem Nabi AssocRICS, Dip DEA, BA Hons

Key Surveys Ltd RICS Surveyor and Valuer

“I had been a DEA since its inception in 2007. Making appointments, dealing with buyers, vendors, tenants, (and pets) are all aspects of day-today surveying that I have been used to for a long time! In 2016, I set up my own insulation company - Thermal Homes Ltd. Again, similar to the above, I was accustomed to dealing with homeowners but on this occasion, offering impartial energy-saving tips through various grant-funded options.”

What was your role and background before joining the course?

Energy matters are becoming a more topical subject in the surveying and valuation profession.

www.elmhurstenergy.co.uk

What made you consider a career in residential surveying?

“It was a simple and realistic transition to make. I was used to surveying houses although on much less of a scale. Taking my career to the next level and becoming a member of the RICS was my next step.”

What is it in particular that drew you to Sava and the Diploma in Residential Surveying and Valuation?

“The fact that I could complete the course as well as continue with my full-time job was the main reason. There were various options I was considering, but this was the one that would work around my work/family/life balance.”

Would you recommend the Diploma in Residential Surveying and Valuation to others looking to pursue a new career?

“I would as the number of surveyors (or lack of) means that there is good demand for good quality surveyors.”

After qualifying, which career path did you take?

“I was inundated with opportunities when I first became qualified, but I decided to start with a small, family-run practice.”

What would you say has been the highlight of your journey so far?

“Setting up my own RICS registered practice in March 2022. Setting up my own business has always been the main goal of mine. Although it was daunting to start with (dealing with insurances, branding, bringing in business etc.) and has been stressful at times, it has definitely been well worth it, and other areas of business are now starting to look very promising.”

Sava runs regular open days and webinars to introduce the Diploma in Residential Surveying and Valuation and life as a surveyor. If you would like to find out more, contact us today at hello@sava.co.uk or 01908 442158. You can also find further information on our website www.sava.co.uk

How to demonstrate competence and quality to clients

Dame Judith Hackitt commented in a Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) webinar in 2020.

There’s no doubt that greater levels of competency is where the industry is headed, as Building Regulations already hint at stricter rules due to come into force.

So what’s the difference between being trained and being competent?

If you have undergone training then you have attended a course and (hopefully!) gained specialist skills or knowledge in a certain area.

However being competent means that in addition to attending training, you have also either sat an exam, or submitted test cases, in order to demonstrate your proficiency. Furthermore, each year you will undergo auditing, CPD and/or submit test cases to demonstrate your continued competence and that you remain up to date with the latest guidance.

After all, someone who attended a course in 1975 might find their knowledge out of date and not adhering to the latest building regulations, should they fail to engage in regular CPD.

Elmhurst operates a series of competency schemes across domestic, non-domestic and new build sectors including:

n The Elmhurst Airtightness Scheme (EAS)

ESOS

Inventory

Legionella

Overheating

Psi-Values

“Building owners, occupiers, and financiers are going to demand proof of quality and competence in the future.”

n Section 63 n U-Values

n Thermography

Membership of one of Elmhurst’s schemes will give you access to marketing materials, software, entry onto Elmhurst’s online register of competent persons and in some cases, insurance.

Other benefits include: Stay ahead of regulation changes

Recent building regulation changes in June 2022 have led to requirements for 100% testing of new build properties, along with a new Part O for Overheating Risk Assessments. Accredited Construction Details have also been removed from the regulations meaning that SAP Assessors will be left with the option of using default Psi-Values or Modelled Psi-Values.

This has led to new opportunities for assessors who are able to meet clients’ new requirements and demonstrate competence and quality, as members of an Elmhurst competency scheme.

Grow your business

Learning new skills and exploring more areas that you can offer services in can also help you grow your business. From a business stand point, having multiple revenue streams offers a strategic advantage by appealing to more customers and being able to upsell services.

If your clients will require more than one service, for example a SAP Calculation and an Overheating Risk Assessment, or a Domestic EPC and a Legionella report, you can offer to provide both services. Not only will this be

convenient for them, it might also be the most cost-effective, if you decide to offer a discount.

Professional Growth

Learning new skills and specializing in certain areas is a natural progression for industry professionals.

For some it’s following a particular interest, while others will be keen to capitalise on gaps in the market where new services have emerged. Whatever your motivation, Elmhurst has developed a wide course catalogue to help you realise your professional goals.

CPD Sale - Get 20% off

Elmhurst has announced its new year CPD sale where you can get a massive 20% off selected courses!

It’s a great way to not only complete great value CPD hours, but also to think seriously about that next step.

Aine Murray, Accredited OCDEA, BPP

Aine Murray is a member of Elmhurst’s U-Value Scheme. After her manager suggested she learn more about U-Values, she decided to take the plunge and book a course.

“Now that I’ve done the course and joined the scheme I’m more confident in my abilities and gained more work as a result. For example there was a client who we were providing SAP calculations for and I happened to drop in that we also provide U-Value calculations and that I’m part of a recognised scheme. Now I get at least 5 emails from them each week asking about U-Values.”

TRAINING www.elmhurstenergy.co.uk

Training update

By Mitesh Nathwani, Training Manager

This year has been the busiest year in our history within the training department.

Although Covid now seems to be old hat, and almost vanished from the news, it has left a huge impact on the industry and inadvertently helped the energy sector grow to unexpected levels.

One of the biggest changes has been lower interest rates (until recently), along with the government’s approach to stamp duty breaks and stamp duty holidays. This allowed the building industry to open up before any other and demonstrated confidence in the property and energy sectors. It also enabled people to buy new and second houses, move home and, for some, extend or have work carried out on their current properties.

Each of these circumstances required an Energy Performance Certificate and in some cases a Retrofit Assessment. The knock on effect has led to an increased demand in assessors across all strands and we have been fortunate enough to be able to meet those demands.

New online systems

With the growth of each strand, we have come to a point where we have introduced new systems to meet the demand; our new website now incorporates our online sales portal which was a completely different system before October.

This makes the buying of our pre-recorded webinars a much easier and faster process. Whereas, in the past we would have to manually generate a log-in, our new system does all of this automatically, so buying a course on Friday night or Saturday and having to wait until Monday is now a thing of the past. Log-in details are sent straight away once payment is confirmed. This has taken a load off the team and enabled us to have a much better, streamlined process.

The introduction of the new website has also allowed us to offer a huge 50% off our prerecorded webinars, giving assessors the opportunity to learn something new or top up their knowledge in certain areas. It will also help those who need to meet minimum requirements for CPD to get their required hours. I am planning something similar this year, so please keep an eye out for our email communications and keep checking the website!

New courses

We are also working on more courses, with the plan to have at least another 15 new courses ready by February across all strands. Recently we launched the ‘Energy Consultancy for DEAs’ course as well as the ‘Retrofit Assessor Practical day’, which have both done extremely well and

have led to more dates being put into the calendar. We have also introduced practical days for assessors to attend where they can get hands-on experience going around a property, carrying out observed EPCs. This is something we have done for a number of years on the non-domestic strand and have since arranged for other strands.

Offering the best of what both companies can offer

I’m sure you now know, that our merger with Stroma is happening. This means there are many new things in the pipeline which will benefit all our assessors old and new. We are currently looking at the best of what both companies can offer and in time we will be bringing more courses your way. We also plan to update the way

we do things internally, thus providing an improved service from start to finish. There are many things we plan to put in place to ensure we stay the number one choice for Energy Training in the UK.

Overall, the year has been busier than we had ever expected and we have changed many aspects of our systems to ensure we meet the high demand.

Following the merger with Stroma, our systems and offerings will only get better. I personally am expecting an even better year for our assessors in terms of work, the ability to learn as well as earn.

Please keep any eye out for our next roadshow. We were up in Scotland in September and are looking at the next one around March in the south of England.

Market data

By Amo Sihra, Head of Commercial

Here at Elmhurst we collect and analyse data from many sources in the belief that it helps us make better business decisions.

Turning this data into a digestible form takes time and requires a detailed understanding of context. In each edition of Energy Matters we provide you with a snapshot of this data, with a brief commentary, which we hope you find of interest, and can help you prepare for the future.

COVID-19 has obviously had a major impact on the construction, housing and energy assessment markets which is reflected in each of the charts. Some of the data related to new build homes within the devolved authorities has not been updated since December 2020 and estimates have been used.

Existing Dwellings

Existing Dwellings Volume of EPC lodgements and residential house sales on a rolling 12 month basis (by quarter).

n Volume of EPC lodgements on a 12 month rolling basis

n Volume of Residential housesales on a 12 month rolling basis

Commentary

For the last five years house sales have been relatively consistent at around 1.19 million per year. Due to Covid the market fell away in March 2020, but had recovered by July and has continued to grow dramatically ever since, with volumes starting to fall from December 2021.

Volumes in the 12 months to September 2021 peaked, hitting 1.55M (17% higher than the previous peak in March 2016, and 30% up on normal). For the last 12 months to October 2022, volumes have been declining but still being at 1.21 million and still very much up from the 1.18m figure.

The volume of EPCs peaked in the 12 months to May 2014, driven in a large part by ECO. This fell back sharply to a low of 1.2 million in March 2018. Two years of recovery peaked again in February 2020 with year on year growth of 11%, largely due to minimum energy efficiency standards in the private rental sector. Since March 2020 (1.63m) the volumes have dropped significantly but are now back on a level above pre-covid times of 1.67m.

There are many other reasons for an EPC to be completed, such as those for social housing as well as ECO4. The Local Authority Delivery Scheme and work funded by the decarbonisation fund, are likely to boost demand. Government initiatives, such as MEES should also continue to drive up the demand for EPCs. Normally when we see EPCs (blue line) on the increase, this would indicate that house sales will also increase. This does not seem to be the case from the graph and shows that the other reasons for EPCs are also driving up demand.

New Build / On Construction

New Build / On Construction Volume of residential house starts and completions on a rolling 12 month basis (by quarter).

Non-Domestic/Commercial buildings

Non-Domestic/Commercial buildings Non residential (commercial) property sales in the UK on a 12 month rolling basis. Volume of commercial property EPCs in the UK on a rolling 12 month basis.

n Volume of residential house starts on a rolling 12 month basis

n Volume of residential house completion on a rolling 12 month basis

Data for Scotland and Wales is estimated since December 2020.

Volume of On Construction (new build residential) EPCs in the UK issued on a rolling 12 month basis.

n Volume of Commercial property EPCs in the UK on a rolling 12 month basis

n Non residential (commercial) property sales in the UK on a 12 month rolling basis

Commentary

More recently, we can see there has been a slight drop in sales, however commercial sales have recovered well and are now 25% above the lows of January 2021 and 5% down from the peak of October 2017. Whilst EPCs are issued for reasons other than property sales, they have continued to grow and are now 55% above the low of March 2021. The market has recovered very well, with the blue line shows a strong upward trend for Non Domestic EPCs and we believe the MEES regulations are playing a major role for the demand.

n Volume of on-construction (new build residential) EPCs in the UK issued on a rolling 12 month basis

Commentary

Since COVID-19, house starts have recovered quickly and hit a new peak in June 2021 of 217,000 and since have fallen by 5% to 206,000. The volume of EPCs in the last twelve months has recovered to 295,000 from its low of 246,000 (up 20%). Volumes peaked in Feb 2020 of 302,000 and are currently only 2% down from the peak figure, showing some growth.

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