Comments on: Where Now for Energy Assessors and the Industry? http://www.hip-consultant.co.uk/blog/where-now-for-energy-assessors-and-the-epcindustry-123/ Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:32:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2 By: assessor http://www.hip-consultant.co.uk/blog/where-now-for-energy-assessors-and-the-epcindustry-123/comment-page-1/#comment-28100 assessor Wed, 31 Aug 2011 21:10:10 +0000 http://www.hip-consultant.co.uk/blog/?p=2713#comment-28100 I'm glad there is still a need for Energy Assessors in the UK, after that fiasco with Home Information packs. I’m glad there is still a need for Energy Assessors in the UK, after that fiasco with Home Information packs.

]]> By: Linni http://www.hip-consultant.co.uk/blog/where-now-for-energy-assessors-and-the-epcindustry-123/comment-page-1/#comment-24488 Linni Fri, 02 Jul 2010 08:40:47 +0000 http://www.hip-consultant.co.uk/blog/?p=2713#comment-24488 I don't get this bit about the way panels work - "all they have added is another layer of admin/cost, reducing the amount received by the person doing the job". The layer of cost they have added is the cost of marketing that could have been done by individual DEAa. You can spend the same amount of money marketing the services of several DEAs as you would spend on marketing for just one - but the cost per DEA is, obviously, much lower. That's the theory, and in the begining they were probably successful because most DEAs didn't want the trouble and expense of doing their own marketing. Yes, they reduced the amount received by the DEA: but if DEAs in general had been prepared to do their own marketing & admin, they wouldn't have needed to use a panel, and the panels would have been less successful. But back to the original topic - where now? I don't yet know. I don't want to sell conveyancing either, but as a person who believes we can make a difference to global climate change, I wouldn't mind selling whole house eco refits. I don’t get this bit about the way panels work – “all they have added is another layer of admin/cost, reducing the amount received by the person doing the job”.
The layer of cost they have added is the cost of marketing that could have been done by individual DEAa. You can spend the same amount of money marketing the services of several DEAs as you would spend on marketing for just one – but the cost per DEA is, obviously, much lower. That’s the theory, and in the begining they were probably successful because most DEAs didn’t want the trouble and expense of doing their own marketing.
Yes, they reduced the amount received by the DEA: but if DEAs in general had been prepared to do their own marketing & admin, they wouldn’t have needed to use a panel, and the panels would have been less successful.
But back to the original topic – where now? I don’t yet know. I don’t want to sell conveyancing either, but as a person who believes we can make a difference to global climate change, I wouldn’t mind selling whole house eco refits.

]]> By: Mesur http://www.hip-consultant.co.uk/blog/where-now-for-energy-assessors-and-the-epcindustry-123/comment-page-1/#comment-24143 Mesur Thu, 17 Jun 2010 18:46:01 +0000 http://www.hip-consultant.co.uk/blog/?p=2713#comment-24143 If we DEAs take up this offer it'll mean even more time on the phone and walking the streets trying to ingratiate with Estate Agents (EA) who will be the only people left with the power to 'award' EPC work or, more specifically put the DEA in touch with their Clients (Purchasers). Would they want to do that anyway - isn't it a breach of their private relationship with their Clients and would their Clients be happy about their details being given to a third party and then being subjected to a 'cold-call'? Wouldn't the EA need to ask permission of their Clients to pass on their information?. EAs frequently have their own 'list' of Solicitors so are hardly going to be sympathetic to a 'sole-trader' trying to enter the market. It seems like a ploy to get the DEA to do the donkeywork for solicitors. I can't sell conveyancing - I don't know enough about it and would quickly get out of my depth if the EA started bargaining and asking why they should change their existing arrangements. And what will those Solicitors not signed up in this scheme react? They will look very poorly on DEAs trying to take their work away and spoil the fragile relationship some of us already have with them. In addition EAs already have their own 'tame' DEAs, so breaking into their territory will only set DEA against DEA and a continuation of a price war. No, it's a bad idea and I will have nothing to do with it! If we DEAs take up this offer it’ll mean even more time on the phone and walking the streets trying to ingratiate with Estate Agents (EA) who will be the only people left with the power to ‘award’ EPC work or, more specifically put the DEA in touch with their Clients (Purchasers). Would they want to do that anyway – isn’t it a breach of their private relationship with their Clients and would their Clients be happy about their details being given to a third party and then being subjected to a ‘cold-call’? Wouldn’t the EA need to ask permission of their Clients to pass on their information?. EAs frequently have their own ‘list’ of Solicitors so are hardly going to be sympathetic to a ‘sole-trader’ trying to enter the market. It seems like a ploy to get the DEA to do the donkeywork for solicitors. I can’t sell conveyancing – I don’t know enough about it and would quickly get out of my depth if the EA started bargaining and asking why they should change their existing arrangements. And what will those Solicitors not signed up in this scheme react? They will look very poorly on DEAs trying to take their work away and spoil the fragile relationship some of us already have with them. In addition EAs already have their own ‘tame’ DEAs, so breaking into their territory will only set DEA against DEA and a continuation of a price war. No, it’s a bad idea and I will have nothing to do with it!

]]> By: paul Lyons http://www.hip-consultant.co.uk/blog/where-now-for-energy-assessors-and-the-epcindustry-123/comment-page-1/#comment-24141 paul Lyons Thu, 17 Jun 2010 17:53:40 +0000 http://www.hip-consultant.co.uk/blog/?p=2713#comment-24141 I predict or hope that this is the last desparate throes of the HIP provider/panel type organisation trying to stay in business. No offence intended to the good ones, but many of these organisations have been exploiting and driving down energy assessor fees for the last three years. Some of the worst (again, no offence intended to the good ones) have been horribly unprofessional and many have folded, owing money to assessors. NHER is a case in point - by driving down fees through their SAVA Business Exchange, they have hardly promoted standards and all they have added is another layer of admin/cost, reducing the amount received by the person doing the job. The fact is that many vendors dont want to deal with national panel conveyancers. Having recently sold a property, I saw that there was a big advantage in local solictors who knew and trusted each other, when problems needed to be dealt with. It was well worth the extra cost in the same way that I hope agents and vendors will feel it is worth the small extra expense of dealing with a local assessor who is motivated to provide a quality service. Lets not forget that the cost of the EPC is a tiny element in the overall cost of moving - estate agents fees and of course the massive rate of stamp duty, which hardly seems to get a mention. I predict or hope that this is the last desparate throes of the HIP provider/panel type organisation trying to stay in business. No offence intended to the good ones, but many of these organisations have been exploiting and driving down energy assessor fees for the last three years. Some of the worst (again, no offence intended to the good ones) have been horribly unprofessional and many have folded, owing money to assessors. NHER is a case in point – by driving down fees through their SAVA Business Exchange, they have hardly promoted standards and all they have added is another layer of admin/cost, reducing the amount received by the person doing the job.

The fact is that many vendors dont want to deal with national panel conveyancers. Having recently sold a property, I saw that there was a big advantage in local solictors who knew and trusted each other, when problems needed to be dealt with. It was well worth the extra cost in the same way that I hope agents and vendors will feel it is worth the small extra expense of dealing with a local assessor who is motivated to provide a quality service.

Lets not forget that the cost of the EPC is a tiny element in the overall cost of moving – estate agents fees and of course the massive rate of stamp duty, which hardly seems to get a mention.

]]> By: Horizon http://www.hip-consultant.co.uk/blog/where-now-for-energy-assessors-and-the-epcindustry-123/comment-page-1/#comment-23875 Horizon Mon, 14 Jun 2010 20:41:59 +0000 http://www.hip-consultant.co.uk/blog/?p=2713#comment-23875 I cant see that offering a free EPC is fighting back on behalf of energy assessors. Surely it removes any value at all from the EPC as it is used as a relationship opener on the back of which who knows what will be sold? Once it is in the market place for free there will be no going back to a paid for model. If cross selling is suddenly OK why have we had to wait until the suspension of HIPs to get to this point? Because it's the HIP providers that are making it happen haven seen all the control of the process evaporate in front of their eyes. I cant see that offering a free EPC is fighting back on behalf of energy assessors.

Surely it removes any value at all from the EPC as it is used as a relationship opener on the back of which who knows what will be sold?

Once it is in the market place for free there will be no going back to a paid for model.

If cross selling is suddenly OK why have we had to wait until the suspension of HIPs to get to this point?

Because it’s the HIP providers that are making it happen haven seen all the control of the process evaporate in front of their eyes.

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