The role of a Domestic Energy Assessor is to collate the data required on any domestic property that falls into the category of the Reduced Data Standard Assessment Program (RDSAP). The RDSAP measures the energy efficiency of a property against the national standard.

This national standard is based on a property located within the Thames Valley, for the purposes of the external temperature and daylight, with internal temperatures set at 21°C in the living room and 18°C in all other rooms with heating applied nine hours a day Monday to Friday and 16 hours on Saturday and Sunday.

The Standard Assessment Program (SAP) has been used for some years by Surveyors to gather information on properties, from which a database model has been created of many different dwellings, their construction and energy efficiency.

The RDSAP uses the same database models created with SAP but requires less data to be collected and therefore the assessor does not need to be a fully qualified surveyor and hence the new professional standard Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA) has been created.

Some properties however cannot be surveyed using the RDSAP model and therefore fall outside the scope and remit of the DEA. These properties include:

• A flat with an extension.
  
• A self contained flat in a roof area.
  
• A property of multiple-occupancy.
  
• Student accommodation.
  

These properties require a Simplified Building Energy Model (SBEM) qualified surveyor.

The DEA has a duty of care, at all times, to himself/herself, the client, and must carry out a risk assessment at all times. Any risk deemed too high a risk requires the DEA to terminate the survey at anytime. This might even occur on approaching the property if that approach is considered dangerous in some way.

On approaching the property the DEA will take an external photograph. This identifies the property and ensures he knows which photographs belong to which property when downloading them from the camera. This photograph and the others taken during the survey are essential as proof of visit and are used as an aide memoire at a later date should any queries be raised over the EPC or the recommendations it generates.

On the approach the DEA will also consider the age of the property and any extensions, including loft conversions, or other factors that need to be recorded.

The DEA then needs to consider which measurements, internal or external, are the easiest to obtain and will do a quick evaluation of the exterior and interior before taking measurements. These measurements must be obtained by the DEA on the day and must not be taken from any other source, i.e. Estate Agents Marketing material.

Having taken and noted the measurements the DEA must then visit every room and take note of the number of radiators, thermostatic valves, windows and any double glazing, lights and any low energy bulbs, the type of heating source (boiler etc) along with make and model and controls, the type of water heating and any storage tank and its insulation. The loft space, if available, must also be visited to check on the presence of insulation and its thickness, with photographs again being taken as an aide memoire for any of these along with other external elevations.

The DEA will also be required to establish the date of any extensions or double glazing installed and may ask to see proof, such as invoices or FENSA certificates. The DEA will also need to access the utility meters. That completes the actual survey, which will take from forty minutes to two and a half hours depending on the size of the property.

Following the survey the DEA must calculate the total area of each floor excluding any extensions, whose floor area must be calculated separately and calculate the length of the Heat Loss Parameter (HLP) which is the combined length of the external wall(s), including any sheltered wall which may form part of a corridor.

The DEA then enters the data into a computer program that generates the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) against the RDSAP model and the certificate is automatically entered into the national database. The certificate document also offers suggestions for improving the energy performance of the property and indicates how energy efficient the property could be if those improvements were implemented. These improvements are not mandatory but purely offered for guidance.

For further assistance please contact Keith Jacobs on 07831 767 204 or e-mail him at keith.jacobs@hips-energy.co.uk

If you wish to have one of our Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA) come and talk to you about the role of a DEA please call Steve Williams on 020 8645 8228 who would be happy to arrange a meeting.