Have you reached that point where you want to make your home more energy efficient and you have followed all the necessary steps to try an achieve this via double glazing and better loft insulation but feel like you could do more? Are you unsure of what steps to make next and which step is right?
This blog is intended to review the different assessment processes you can choose from to move forward in your green energy aspirations for your home and help you choose which one is right for you.
The assessment
The next step you will need to take is to have your home assessed. You can either have a Green Deal Assessment or an independent assessment. During the assessment, the ‘surveyor’ will move through your home measuring, photographing and recording information. They will ask you lots of questions about your energy use habits such as how often you shower, how long you leave the heating on etc. After the assessment you will be present with a package of your data. This is how the two reports will differ:
The Green Deal feedback
The Green Deal Assessment will cost you around £100 and is based on an energy performance certificate (EPC). In a nutshell:
- This assessment has average expectations of your home based on the fuel cost per square meter of floor space.
- Additionally, the Green Deal assessor will conduct an occupancy assessment, which takes into consideration your personal circumstances.
- You will be presented with a four-page advice report that will include your energy usage and the number of people living in your home.
The four-page report is structured very specifically around the Green Deal and compares your household with a generic house of the same size and type. It gives you a list of recommendations to make your home more energy efficient, with approximate costs and savings. This report is very focused around you choosing the Green Deal process with general feedback on your energy use.
Independent Assessment
An independent Assessment can cost you over £250 but you pay for a much more detailed and bespoke analysis of your home.
- An independent assessment will take into consideration your own personal energy saving goals whether they be for a money saving advantage or reduction on your carbon footprint.
- It will contemplate your budget and how much you can afford to spend from the get go.
- It will give you options. You won’t just have one plan for your home’s green energy future, but several to choose from. Each one will be broken down into initial costs, annual savings, CO2 savings, new bill estimates and approximate payment plan periods.
- You will receive a full report on the energy use in your home in easy to understand graphs and charts.
- An independent assessment will take into consideration already installed appliances that may reduce the overall cost of running your home.
- It will get specific about certain areas in your home that either use a lot of power or help you lose a lot of heat (draughts etc).
You will also be presented with additional reading that is more general but will help you with the next steps in your green energy plan for your home.
Which is the best?
You get what you pay for here. If you want a brief and general document to get you started on your ‘Green’ journey that may or may not be entirely accurate then the Green Deal Assessment is all you need. If you want a detailed analysis if your home with several recommendations then an independent assessment is for you.
Hopefully this article has helped you to compare the differences between a Green Deal assessment of your home with an independent assessment.
