having just done the training to be a domestic energy assessor i have lots to say on this which may well fill a book but as my typing is so slow it may be best if i make a few preliminary comments and then respond to queries.
the main point i want to make however ( and i do believe in principle that energy certs are a good thing) is that people who are likely to put in higher than current standard insulation i.e you and me, into their buildings and then cover them over e.g i have insulated below all my suspended floors and have started insulating walls inside (in addition to cavity fill), will need to keep a record (photos) of the work and/or have a receipt from their builder because RdSAP (reduced data standard assessment procedure) will only recignise visible improvements e.g loft insulation and fill holes of cavity fill.

info: out of the possible 100 points achievable with RdSAP, double galazing willonly get you another 4 while a condensing boiler will add 15.

so any queries????

seems perfectly ok to me if you are happy to do it, which ever assessor you get at the time will have to make a judgement on the evidence before him if your sample is representative of the whole or only a percentage. i do not have records of what i have done and am not going to cut in to wallpapered walls to gain an extra couple of points! my point for the future is that improvers should keep records from now on. energy assessors are not expected or authorised to do any opening up even so far as not lifting loft insulation and not entering lofts if overlaid with thick insulation that covers ceiling joists i.e they can not see where they are treading.
insulated floors could in future have a little hinged flap in the boards (subject to floor finish?)

under RdSAP cavity fill is determined either by an installer certificate if the owner has one or, more likely, by noting the presence of made good hole (and making sure they are not wall tie renewal!). possible also to see spillage of fill in to loft sometimes.
draught control can only possibly be assessed crudely and will generally only be a question of keeping or deleting a recommendation to draught strip which will apply to most properties.
when is a draught lobby a porch?....so here we go from the manual on porches: '..as a general rule if an area of the property is heated it is included in the RdSAP calc. If unheated and separated from the main property... then it can be excluded....Porches not under main roof are to be ignored unless heated and greater than 10% of total floor area. If heated and greater than 10% ...treat the porch as an extension (own data entry, my note) with its own age and construction. In most instances small porches, thermally separated from the main dwelling, whether heated or not can be ignored from RdSAP.'
you will note that RdSAP by its nature has to be quite general but i am sure will firm up as info. on thousands of houses becomes available.

Nicked from another forum:

"The main roof got a Very Poor because he said it had no insulation". But it is thatch, which is two feet thick and more in places, so how can this be? The assessor said he didn't count thatch, he only counted insulation applied to the top of the actual ceiling."

Any comments?

ah! this has raised some hackles!
mark, the going rate for energy surveys is currently £70-120. at 4 a day for 20 days i.e month plus couple of days for admin, i make £8400, so 10 a day seems a bit unnecessary. the trouble is that a lot of assessors will be working for large commercial firms who willpay them on the basis of a low salary plus large bonuses; the likely result will be low quality but i guess we will only find that out once there are complaints/court action. i am only aiming to do 1 or 2 days a week and to specialise in old buildings.
biff, in the manual the insulation of thatch is taken as half the thickness i.e 400mm thatch can be recorded as 200 insulation. the surveyor you quote was either wrong or working on the old recommendations. actually of course he was right because thatch roofs will have a gale blowing through them and only insulation at ceiling level will mean anything.
so thats clear then!
mike, in the world we inhabit i do tend to agree with you. however, we do somehow have to start to get people generally to undertsand the need to reduce energy consumption in the home. the point i would inevitably make to the consumer (just as when appointing any so called expert) is to find out what you are spending your money on. do not just leave it to the estate agent to arrange for an energy assessor but find your own locally and see what other qualifs/experience he has other than just a DEA.
we will all need to learn from the intro. of energy certs and make sure they become really useful documents. personally i think the system will take 10 years to bed in with lots of revisions before the chancellor introduces a carbon tax element to the council tax.

yes it is, and this is why the year of construction is so important at least post 1965 when the build regs came in. the absurdity of energy surveys being ordered up by estate agents is that if the owner does not know the year of construction and there is no immediate documentation then age has to be estimated or if in any doubt put at a lower band. this is even sillier when part of the HIP has to be the land certificate (which with recent houses will have the date of construction) and can be obtained from the land reg for a few quid or is probably already sitting at the solicitors or build socs office! anyone thinking of selling should therefor obtain the land cert before going to the estate agent who will only be interested in getting the house on the market asap. better still, of course, is to have a survey done a year before yopu sell, make the most economic imps and the have it resurveyed (ask the first surveyor for a price for the 2 surveys up front).

happy to if i can, phone me on 01424 752311.
i took the NAEA exam as their complete course was the cheapest.....awaiting the result.

training 3 days plus self study and helpline, cost about £1500 (NAEA the cheapest), demand who knows but how many houses are sold (new cert needed each time) plus in 2 0r 3 years all rented property has to be done as it comes up for re-let (then every 10 years), clients combination of private, local estate agents, and panels (have a look at a few websites).

elmhurst energy did the training (coventry), there are only 3 government approved software providers in any case. elmhurst are probably the most recognised energy assessors but i can't in all honesty say the training was brilliant, lets face it the subject is pretty uninspiring. you can do you own properties both for the own case test examples that you will have to do (3) and after qualifying but with the latter it is advised that you declare your interest (or swap with another assessor). if the assessment is accurate of course a buyer/tenant has got no comeback anyway.
there were a couple of people on the course i did that owned or managed large portfolios and intended to add energy certs to their range of management services.

as an architect with 35 years experience and a number of other construction related academic and practical qualifications i do see where you are coming from. but DEAs are not making judgements on condition nor do they need detailed knowledge of building construction, they are just making a record of what they see. the problem as i see it comes after the assessment when lay people need to carry out the suggested improvements. putting in a new boiler and loft insulation can quite safely be done respectively by a plumbe and a do-it-yourselfer, but when something wall insulation is needed on solid walls it may be necessary a householder to seek advice from someone with more experience than a 'normal' DEA. indeed DEAs are specifically told not to offer direct advice on application of the recommended improvements. this is where this forum and BFF magazine can offer good quality practical advice and perhaps there is an opportunity here for keith et al to come up with a manual?

Can a qualified DEA issue certificates for new build from plans or is it always neccessary to await completion of build and then make site visit.

Most competent trainees should pass as the answers are multiple choice. I did see one trainee on another forum ask where the correct location for a central heating thermostat should be. Options: 1st floor landing or lounge? Guess which he chose?

Good morning. Just curious on the time is takes typically to carry out an energy assesment say on a 4 bed 2 storey 2,000ft2 home? I was guessing at 2hours? Anyone help me out with this one please?

Can someone please provide, or point to, a summary of what the energy certificate will comprise?

Very interesting,

I have a 1890's terrace with Solar Thermal Panel hence 'my name'.

Condensing Worcester Bosch Boiler 11/2005, thermostat in front room where there is also a wood burner, so boiler shuts down when temp in room gets to temp.
Front room, North facing: Bay window wood D/G changed 7yrs ago, Roof above Bay insulated with lambs wool insulation all space filled and allowed to settle. suspended modern wood floor part insulated Lambs wool 6ft nearest window.

Double glazing through-out, Canadian fiberglass windows (5) and back door U value 1.43 I believe. front door wood D/G 2yrs ago, with inner lobby D/G wood door, works well.
Bathroom has velux window 9yrs old. and walls in need of insulating properly next job, South facing.

Bedroom North facing started to insulate, completed first yard of party wall to right hope to continue this summer.

Loft has 10" plus insulation to sides with a Insulated boarded out middle storage space insulated with 30ml kingspan to walls and roof Velux 9yrs old

Can someone tell me what my energy rating might be ?

Advise where to look for information on the energy certificate ?

thanks in anticipation

arnold