These guys seem to be little more than box-tickers. And unfortunately they haven't even managed to tick the right boxes.

The Rat and Mouse has already expressed a little cynicism about the quality and competence of those moving into the EPC assessment racket. But I don't know how we could have missed this fascinating exposé in the Sunday Telegraph... the result of a (truly) hapless energy inspector visiting the home of columnist Jeff Howell. Howell had recently spent £30,000 upgrading the energy efficiency of his home, including underfloor heating, hemp plastering and proper insulation. Two out of two inspectors failed to notice the insulation...giving the property an extremely low rating, and over-estimating its energy consumption by 75%. According to the Government:

EPCs are a comprehensive assessment of the energy efficiency of a home.

According to one of the inspectors, when challenged:

We are not obliged to be thorough.

It's a terrific piece, and we recommend it.

[via Home 2.0]

More HIPs shame [June 7, 2007]
Conservatives fail to overturn HIPs plan [May 16, 2007]

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