Update on the Home Energy Advisor qualification

As we explained in our introduction to the Home Energy Advisor qualification, there has not at any time so far been a clear vision on how the market for a Home Energy Advisor (HEA) will develop, however this may change in the near future.

Update on the HEA Qualification - June 2010

As you may have heard, the new coalition government has indicated that it plans to introduce a new incentive for home owners to ‘green’ their houses by way of ‘The Green Deal’ – intended as the replacement for the ‘Home Energy Management Strategy’ (HEMS) of the Labour government.

While we understand that up to £6.500 will be made ‘available’ per home and that Green Deal will cover all housing, including social housing, the position still remains very unclear. 

However, we have heard unverified reports that access to ‘Green Deal’ funding will only be available via a report issued by an accredited Home Energy Advisor (HEA) and will be linked to the EPC for that property. In addition we now understand that to be an accredited HEA an individual will have to undertake a competence based qualification.  There will be no APEL route.

We further understand that the framework for the ‘Green Deal’ is to be worked up this summer with a view to having something in place for Autumn of this year, although regulation for any finance package will not be available until the end of 2011, at the earliest.

ABBE does not yet offer a competence based qualification, but is working on this.  However, it already offers a knowledge based award.  This is achieved by taking three multi choice examinations without any portfolio of evidence.  Unit 1 covers the knowledge needed to produce an EPC (and thus Home Inspectors and Domestic Energy Assessors are exempt from Unit 1) and two additional units covering the areas beyond the EPC.  We understand that ABBE does not intend to remove this qualification as they believe that it will have a future for people offering telephone support, etc. and that anyone who has passed these unit exams will be exempt from the external exam element of the competence based qualification.

Currently NES offers DEAs and Home Inspectors an online training package for anyone who wishes to attempt the current ABBE award.  People who are not Domestic Energy Assessors but who wish to obtain the award can attend two days of the DEA training to gain the underpinning knowledge for Unit 1.