Who should be Home Energy Advisers? - Homes Matter

Thoughts and ideas on how to deliver » Who should be Home Energy Advisers?

Back to Comment Written on 01-Feb-2010 by nigelfarren

As energy efficiency programmes roll out, a huge responsibility will be placed on Home Energy Advisers (HEAs) to deliver energy efficiency. Though door knocking on a street by street basis, they will be required to persuade homeowners to retrofit their homes, adopt low carbon lifestyles and reduce waste.

However, results from existing projects and trials to date are not promising. The London Development Authority’s Home Energy Efficiency Programme (HEEP) trials for example, show that more than 70% of consumers did not take up easy measures offered even though they were free. Energy Savings Trust’s Penistone area project had only a 13% uptake. As a result, costs are currently around £2,000 per tonne of carbon saved.

Some of the reasons for the low uptake rate are:

most door knocking is on a cold call basis with few pre-booked appointments being arranged
most homeowners are out during the day and are not receptive to unsolicited visits during evenings and weekends.
HEAs are expected to gain homeowners permission to carry out energy audits etc at the time they door knock. Audits can take up to two hours and not surprisingly most homeowners are not receptive to this without pre-agreement.
Most HEAs do not have good, “sales consultancy” and communication skills.
The salaries offered (£16,000-£22,000 in London) have not attracted the best quality candidates
there is no agreed national standard for HEA training
businesses and community groups have not been pre-engaged to publicise programmes.

Convincing homeowners in the private sector to improve energy efficiency is a huge challenge. Like any other product / service, energy efficiency needs to be “sold” to homeowners and therefore top quality “sales consultants” are required. However, some delivery agents are hiring unemployed people with inadequate skills on a self-employed basis with pay linked to the number of visits, not uptake of energy saving measures. Some vacancies are also being advertised without requirement for a City & Guilds Energy Awareness or DEA qualification or minimum standards of attire.

So what is the solution? Every commercial organisation knows that top quality sales are required to be successful. If delivery agents recruit HEAs with poor sales and communication skills, low uptake will follow. Complaints will also increase resulting in resident’s trust in Councils being undermined and energy efficiency programmes, failing. In my view, Domestic Energy Assessors with proven sales consultancy and communication skills are required to be retrained as HEAs, not young people on apprentice schemes. Salaries on offer also need to be increased to attract quality candidates and telesales staff are needed to pre-book appointments for HEAs as much as possible.

Of course this will increase staffing costs but the risk is that if delivery agents don't do this, we will end up with low uptake of energy savings measures, loss of residents' trust, failure of energy efficiency programmes and carbon reduction targets not being met.

What do you think?

Send to a friend

Comments

written on 03-Feb-2010
Finbar Mostyn-Williams says:
This is very interesting and concerning.

It would perhaps be worthwhile looking at the take up achieved by some of the commercial operators such as British Gas who I believe are doing audits in conjunction with certain councils.

It is ironic however, that after councils were given the responsibility of managing efficiency programs they have now outsourced them straight to businesses who seem to be engaging in the very operations that the system was meant to avoid - aggressive sales, aggressive marketing, sales of unnecessary or low quality products etc.

Given the relative difficulty (cost, installation, materials choice) in achieving meaningful reductions in domestic energy usage, I sometimes find it unfathomable that these services can be handed over to companies who deliver services on the basis of the lowest common denominator. The utilities with their budget CFLs which don't work because they are the cheapest available stick out like a sore thumb in this respect.

Thanks,
Finbar
written on 11-Feb-2010
Chris says:
I'm not surprised take up is low. They have clearly been going about it all wrong and using the wrong people. If fact if a knock on the door cold calling approach has achieved 13% it's done well (for that way of going about it). Few people buy from a cold call nowadays, even if whats on offer is free, such is modern sceptism.

The solution suggested above makes perfect sense. Canvass by phone and/or paper advertising, book appointments and use advisers who know what they're talking about.
There is an army of Domestic energy assessors out there having a hard time making a living simply because too many have been trained and demand for EPC's is low in the recession. They would need minimal training, if any at all.
I'm one who would be happy to perform in this HEA capacity and if it's gone about the right way I'm sure the take up would increase dramatically.

If anyone knows how I might find out more on how to offer my services post a comment.
written on 12-Feb-2010
nigel farren says:
Check out what I found on http://www.gumtree.com:

Home Energy Advisors
---------------------------------------------------------
Location: Camden/Lewisham
---------------------------------------------------------
We are looking for a team of friendly, outgoing self motivated people to work in Lewisham and Camden on a part time basis.

You will work door to door advising people of a council funded service for this area to assist in making thier houses more environmentally friendly. The service is part of a home energy efficiency program in Camden and Lewisham to help with the reduction of harmful emissions.

You will be working on a Saturday and possibly a couple of evenings in the week to suit.

If you feel you have the confidence to help make the world a better place then please call and ask for James

http://www.gumtree.com/london/35/53052435.html

If this is the way councils intend to recruit HEAs, their programmes will fail. How can we persuade them that they have to recruit experienced professionals with at least a DEA or City & Guilds qualification?
written on 13-Feb-2010
Richard Frith [http://www.assessenergy.co.uk] says:
One approach could be for estate agents (EAs) to offer free HEA consultations to all buyers who's EPC suggests a (say 10 point) improvement can be made by carrying out suggested improvements. I know this will not be a high volume tactic, but at least the HEA will be fed the occasional good lead and the EAs will have something worthwhile to offer. Given the current feed-in-tariff for solar PV and grants for cavity and loft insulation to name but a few, there will be plenty of scope for HEAs to earn commission from approved suppliers. This approach will also help EAs and home buyers to see the positive side of EPCs.
written on 08-Mar-2010
Marc says:
Nigel,

Would you be willing to accept a guest post on your website? I have one that I wrote about green energy initiatives and was hoping you might consider posting it. I've submitted it to a few places just to increase general awareness. Hoping you'll take a look at it. With Forestry Day, Water Day and Earth Week coming up soon, I figured it would be a good time to ask.

Let me know if you are interested.

Thanks,

Marcus

Page navigation

Thoughts and ideas on how to deliver » Who should be Home Energy Advisers?

Comments

Leave a Comment

© Homes Matter, February 2010.