Did you see the Sunday Times Home section cover story explaining how the energy efficiency surveys work in practice and what most of us are likely to get from them?

Try to ignore the photo of a typical Hip surveyor from SSH in Hereford, an elderly man (possibly bored by retirement) trying to look professional and competent but actually staring vacantly into the middle distance while ignoring his client (who paid for the survey) and talking on his hands free phone.

It gives the example of a georgian farmhouse and among the proposals 'costing less than £500' is the recommendation that the homeowner spends £40 per m2 to insulate the walls to save £478 a year. Great but this looks like a detached house about 10m long x 5m high plus the same at the rear and, maybe half again on the sides - a total of £6000, not under £500. I very much doubt that this figure includes the cost of replacing all the cornices and skirtings in their new positions or the total redecoration that will be necessary. Whether the local authority would countenance such improvements to a listed building is very doubtful. Still, it seems a better bet than their suggestion that they could save £68 a year by installing photovoltaic cells at a cost of £10-18,000.

I'm surprised they didn't suggest that the homeowner put down the labrador pictured (at a cost of under £100) to save £500 a year on food and vets bills or put her children on a small treadmill to generate electricity.

Your last suggestion might - in particular - be worth further thought. Imagine the scenario... they're combatting childhood obesity and powering the drinks chiller in your La-z-Boy. Perfect.

Unfortunately, we can't bring Rat and Mouse readers the photograph you refer to. But we can bring you the feature... here. It was accompanied by a Q&A, here. Thanks for writing.

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