COVID-19: Taking stock

On 13th May 2020 the Prime Minister announced that the construction and housing markets in England were to restart. Recently similar announcements have been made by the governments of Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales, all with different dates and different conditions. It seems that politicians and businesses are both finding the concept of coming out of “lockdown” significantly more complex than going in.

Now is perhaps a good time to reflect on what has happened over the last 3 months and to consider what we can learn from our experiences.

Reflecting back to when we held our very successful Scotland conference on 10th March 2020, Covid-19 was certainly in the news, but I don’t feel any of us believed the impact it might have. We enjoyed record attendance and the only indication of things to come was the awkwardness we felt introducing ourselves with the bumping of elbows. And then we entered lockdown.

The effects

Market volumes dropped significantly over the first two months of lockdown, with EPC lodgements about 85% to 90% down. Since MHCLG restarted the housing market on the 13th May RdSAP lodgements in England have risen quickly, and as we near the end of June, are almost 90% of what we might expect. The other strands, and countries are also recovering but at a different, and generally slower pace.

Perhaps now is a good opportunity to start thinking about the future and consider whether there is anything good to be learnt from what we have all experienced. I have considered what has changed in my life and identified the things I would like to retain.

I N F O C U S

www.elmhurstenergy.co.uk

COVID-19 Taking stock

Martyn Reed, Managing Director

Health, safety and the environment are important

For many years a person’s, company’s and even a country’s success and security has been measured in purely financial terms and now one little virus has demonstrated how vulnerable that model has become. Without our health, (and for us involved in energy efficiency assessment, that can mean air quality, carbon emissions, global warming and overheating,) we have no security.

Learning point: The environment is very important.

Keeping in contact

You only really miss something when it’s gone. Whilst online software such as Skype and Zoom are great at keeping family, friends and colleagues connected in the long term, and to meet new people, there is no real substitute for face-to-face communication.

Learning point: Relationships are critical and creating them is easier when we meet in person.

Most of us can work from home

Many energy assessors already work from home and therefore there has or will be little change. But for those of us who are normally office based, the experience of working from home for more than a day or two at a time was a shock.

I did find that although the technology was brilliant, many business processes are based on incidental communications (such as passing each other in the corridor, or waiting for the kettle to boil), meaning that electronic communication can become rather functional.

Learning point: Working from home can be made to work. It will be a good to retain flexibility for both the work/life balance.

Now is perhaps a good time to reflect on what has happened over the last 3 months and to consider what we can learn from our experiences.

Doing energy assessments differently

The crisis required Elmhurst and others to think outside the box. One of the most challenging questions that has been posed relates to how we might be able to undertake assessments during an extended lockdown.

Over the last 27 years Elmhurst has gained an extensive understanding of energy assessment, including what happens internationally. We know that assessments require a competent, accredited energy assessor to visit the property to observe, record and evidence features of the building required to calculate its energy performance. Whilst it will always require a visit there may be opportunities to save time on site:

n Sharing information between energy assessors, to save time on site.

n Capture evidence by means other than pen and paper, a mobile device and photographs.

n Updating recently issued EPCs using data from trusted source.

As an industry we must continually took for ways of working more efficiently whilst preserving the quality of what we do and maintaining confidence in energy certificates.

Learning point: Be prepared to think differently.

The future is bright

In the months running up to the current crisis, optimism was running high. With hindsight the economy was going well but there was also a large amount of new legislation being implemented or proposed, including minimum energy efficiency standards for the private rented sector, new building regulations for new build properties and the prospect of minimum standards for the owner occupied sector in Scotland.

On the installation side PAS 2035 is now established as the best way to manage retrofit improvement, which is a whole new industry. Elmhurst members are perfectly placed to become Retrofit Assessors and Retrofit Coordinators to deliver projects that are right for the home and the occupant

Learning point: Covid-19 was a major bump in the road but once it has passed the climate change challenge and fuel poverty challenges still exist, and need all our skills to solve.