Helping Innovate Property (HIP) – Blog, Housing Market News and Articles

Cheap Home Information Pack (HIP) and Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) providers in the market place, are unfortunately not delivering the promised service or product at times, within the timescales agreed. It has been brought to our attention that a number of companies are taking excessive time to deliver or arrange EPCs, some have not received their HIP or EPC at all as the company has gone into liquidation and ceased trading.

Recently, we have received numerous calls from anxious concerned people who were looking for advice on what they could do in their specific problematic scenarios plus people who thought they had instructed us to carry out their HIP and/or EPC, when infact they had opted for a ‘cheap HIP provider‘.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Energy Saving Trust (EST) is close to be given access to the data gathered from Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) and this was recently outlined in the summary of responses to ‘The Next Steps: EPCs and the establishment of the Green Homes Service consultation.’

Read the rest of this entry »

After almost a year since our article ‘Should I train as a domestic energy assessor (DEA)? and the incredible number of responses and strength of feeling expressed from visitors, we felt it would be a good time to review the current situation.

Training as a domestic energy assessor and/or home inspector is still being  ‘sold’ in quite a widespread manner by what appears to be an increasing number of training providers. Is this because there is a need or a shortage within the industry? Or that training is now a growing profitable industry benefitting in these times of recession.

Read the rest of this entry »

Continuing Professional Development continues to be a ‘hot topic’ within the domestic energy assessor industry; with accreditation schemes auditing their members and DEAs looking to provide evidence of the required CPD hours.

We were very happy to announce we had been asked to help design a website for Continuing Professional Development for those in the industry in a previous article ‘What is Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for Domestic Energy Assessors?’; and even more pleased to be able to say it is now live !!

Read the rest of this entry »

This week has seen news released about developments of Home Information Packs and has given rise to speculation about Home Condition Reports (HCR) making a suprise return. The main topics and news within Magaret Beckett’s statement; industry professionals and associated organisation had some expectation of though we were all unsure of the exact timing until recently.

Read the rest of this entry »

After our recent article,  should i train as a domestic energy assessor? which has received a massive number of comments and strength of feeling within the responses; we have decided to follow this up with the latest announcement by the Government.

The Government periodically announces combined numbers of Domestic Energy Assessors and Home Inspectors and breaks the figures down into the stage they have achieved at the time of reporting. The numbers continue to rise from the last published figures on the 6th March 2008. As of 23rd May 2008 the official numbers are:

Accredited (DEA & HI) – 7,930 (increase of 829 from 6/3/08)
Qualified (DEA & HI) – 1,464 (passed exams and qualified, but not yet become accredited)
Passed exams (DEA & HI) – 4,816
Total (DEA & HI) in system who have passed exams or progressed further – 14,210 (increase of 2,784 from 6/3/08)

It is worth remembering that these figures do not show those that are currently practicing. It is anticipated that both Domestic Energy Assessors and Home Inspectors (whom many have never carried out enough Home Condition Reports even to regain a fraction of the training costs) have left the industry. It is sad that these people have been unable to survive within the industry; often citing a lack of instructions and income as the main defining reason for leaving to find alternative employment.

Read the rest of this entry »

Training as a domestic energy assessor (DEA) may seem like a good opportunity but it is essential to gain a good understanding of the market place prior to entering into the energy assessment field.

HIP-Consultant.co.uk has develop its services and areas we can provide Home Infomation Packs (HIPS) over a relatively short period. This expansion has been carried out gradually to ensure the continuity of quality remains; and that we do not fall foul of sacrificing customer service which has been key to the high level of customer satisfaction we have achieved.

HIP-Consultant.co.uk receive enquiries on almost a daily basis from current or potential domestic energy assessors (DEA) as I am sure other organisation will do. The discussion within the industry continues to be one of concern in regard to the current and rising number of DEAs; concerns which HIP-Consultant.co.uk mirror. The question which is inevitably asked by prospective DEAs is ‘should I train as a domestic energy assessor?‘
Read the rest of this entry »