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WANTED – pragmatic geeks who are good communicators and want to make a difference – either for themselves, their families or the planet. 

Interested?  Read on to find out what is involved… 

A Morning on Location with the Home Energy Doctor. 

Laura Feinberg is a sustainability writer who loves to research and share stories for a positive sustainable future.   

When she heard about the Home Energy Doctor Test she was intrigued to know more and joined a test day.  Here’s what she found…  

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I arrived at a residential property on a cool wet day to discover what actually happens during a Home Energy Doctor test, and was welcomed into the home where Diane was taking measurements and preparing the building.   

The first thing I noticed was the heat inside. I had been advised that each home needs to be at least 10 degrees hotter inside the building than outside for the test to be effective, and the client had prepared ahead of time.  We were meeting outside of the summer season, as is always the case, otherwise this would be difficult to achieve. 

Once Diane had finished her primary calculations and sealed all vents, she stopped to update the owners on her findings so far.  She is straight talking and chatty, yet this was not just a casual conversation. Asking plenty of diagnostic questions to build an accurate, detailed picture of how the building is used, she also skilfully ascertained the goals and aspirations of the owners such as reducing their carbon footprint, feeling more comfortable and future-proofing their lives to the best of their ability – all valuable information when it comes to making informed recommendations.  She has the experience and awareness to identify additional problems unrelated to the testing, such as ventilation issues, and as a holistic practitioner nothing slips through the net.   

What happened next took me by surprise!  Diane does not travel lightly on these visits and the hallway was in fact filled with technical kit.  We watched in nervous anticipation wondering what was about to happen as she unpacked a huge fan and installed it in the doorway surrounded by an airtight layer of plastic. Would we need to strap ourselves to the furniture to avoid being swept away or sucked from the building? Although the client commented that it was ‘like being on an episode of Grand Designs’, this was unlike anything I had ever seen…. As Diane prepared to ‘chuck a load of air through’ the building she explained that this would provide the test conditions to identify key results – how ‘leaky’ the fabric of the building itself was.  The fan started running to blow air around the building at velocity. Noting the flow rate of air is like taking the house’s ‘blood pressure’.  This went on for some time much to our delight.   

Further tests followed using a thermal imaging camera to spot unwanted air movement in a similar way to an ultrasound procedure.  Every room was comprehensively checked and results noted.   

Once the test results were in, Diane undertook a thorough assessment of the readings and stopped again to consult with the homeowners who were clearly highly engaged and enjoying the process, fascinated by what the outcomes would mean for their decision-making now and in the future.  They told me they had spent a great deal of time researching retrofitting and gained lots of information as a result but realised they needed help to understand and bring it all together in a holistic way.  I realised through the conversation that there is something important about creating an order to any retrofit – getting the foundations right before redecorating, for example, which this test makes possible.  Clearly listening to her clients and their priorities is critical and Diane was able to offer a suite of courses of action in response to the numeric results she had just obtained. She touched on risks and solutions with authority, reassurance and an excellent breadth of market awareness, always adding value, for example where guarantee certification might cover cavity wall insulation work. 

The process might be disruptive for a morning but then lays a path for following building works.  Fully aware of this and now empowered and confident, the clients seemed more than happy with a morning well spent.     

Like to know more?  Get in touch – call us on 0330 2211 071 or email [email protected]