Undertake home visits to carry out Green Deal (or equivalent programme) Occupancy Assessments and give advice

This standard is about undertaking home visits to give advice on reducing energy use.  It is intended to complement INSDEA3, which covers inspecting domestic properties to determine their energy performance and make recommendations for improvement.  It therefore focuses on the additional activities that must be carried out during the home visit.  This includes conducting an occupancy assessment to collect relevant data, over and above that collected in a property inspection – that is, information about the occupier, their circumstances, and how they use their home.  The purpose of the occupancy assessment is to provide more bespoke advice to the customer according to the way they use their home and to provide them with a more accurate indication of the likely suitability of the Green Deal (or equivalent programme).  It also covers the process of supporting the customer, during the home visit, to take steps to reduce their energy consumption. 

You must understand and work to the requirements of each devolved nation.

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Conduct an Occupancy Assessment to gather information relating to household energy consumption from occupiers and other sources

1. prior to your home visit, explain to customers the information that they will need to provide, in accordance with the prescribed Green Deal (or equivalent programme) methodology for the occupancy assessment and agree with them how it will be obtained
2. confirm that your customer is the person responsible for the dwelling's fuel bills and has the authority to take action under the Green Deal (or equivalent programme) based on the advice given, after receiving any necessary consents from the property owner 
3. gather the required data and information from relevant sources, such as energy monitoring equipment and utility bills
4. gather any further data that is required to complete any gaps or to address any inconsistencies in the information provided
5. establish that the Reduced Data Standard Assessment Procedure (RDSAP) methodology is the relevant methodology for identifying Green Deal (or equivalent programme) energy efficiency measures for the property
6. undertake a visual inspection of any relevant aspects of the property in accordance with the requirements of the prescribed Green Deal (or equivalent programme) methodology for the occupancy assessment
7. draw on all relevant data to advise customers about how the current condition of the property may affect its energy performance
8. check for the presence of carbon monoxide detectors in the property and seek confirmation that they are working

Explain to customers how they may reduce their energy consumption or achieve affordable warmth

1. establish and clarify the customer's requirements to reduce energy consumption
2. identify any constraints with the customer that might affect the ability to respond
3. provide the customer with information about available funding and financial support
4. recognise instances of fuel poverty and poor indoor environmental conditions associated with energy inefficient housing and poor health
5. advise customers affected by fuel poverty and poor indoor environmental conditions about the sources of help and advice available to them
6. provide an explanation to customers of how the current use of their appliances, systems and controls affects their energy consumption, fuel bills, thermal comfort and risk of condensation
7. explain to customers the importance of relevant use of their fixed appliances, systems and controls and where to find out more information about those installed at the property
8. provide information to customers on the methods and products for achieving the efficient management of water usage and minimisation of waste
9. provide information to customers on the methods and products for achieving the reduction, reuse and recycling of waste
10. discuss with customers if they have future intentions to undertake work on the property and where this work may have an impact on the recommendations given
11. advise the customer of the limitations on the advice provided and where to obtain more about energy efficiency
12. invite and respond to customer questions, issues and concerns about the home visit and the advice given

Maintain written records of inspection findings

1. create and maintain records of your findings, including investigations undertaken, values recorded, and options considered, to the required level of detail
2. collate all relevant information to support the decisions made and advice given
3. where information cannot be obtained, or where data is recorded as 'unknown', detail where this applies and why this action was unavoidable
4. catalogue your records and store them securely in accordance with the relevant data protection legislation and ensuring that they can be accessed for future use

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Conduct an Occupancy Assessment to gather information relating to household energy consumption from occupiers and other sources

1. the range of data and information that is required from the customer to enable a Green Deal (or equivalent programme) occupancy assessment of the customer's use of their home
2. how to explain the information that is required to the customers and agree with them how it will be obtained
3. the methods that may be used to obtain data and information, such as questioning, telephone interview, customer completion questionnaires
4. alternate sources of data and information, such as energy monitoring equipment, utility bills that may inform the occupancy assessment
5. how to undertake a visual, on-site inspection of the relevant aspects of the property required for an occupancy assessment
6. the requirements, definitions and conventions of the prescribed Green Deal (or equivalent programme) methodology for the occupancy assessment
7. how to identify gaps in information and gather additional data to fill them
8. the requirements of the relevant Codes of Practice or other guidance applying to the home visit

Explain to customers how they may reduce their energy consumption and/or achieve affordable warmth

1. the importance of establishing and clarifying the customer's requirements regarding reducing energy consumption and likely barriers to action for the customer
2. how to recognise households at risk of Fuel Poverty and poor indoor environmental conditions associated with energy inefficient housing and poor health
3. the limits of your own expertise in advising those at risk of Fuel Poverty about the health outcomes from energy efficiency measures and behavioural change
4. the sources of help and advice available to those in, or at risk of, fuel poverty or poor health associated with energy inefficient housing 
5. the financial constraints that may affect the customer's ability to respond
6. the potential sources of financial support including Green Deal (or equivalent programme) finance and Energy Consumption Obligation subsidies
7. how the occupier's use of their installed appliances, systems and controls affects overall energy consumption and fuel bills 
8. the main methods and products used for controlling and managing the use of water and ways of minimising water usage and how customers can access further information on them and their suppliers 
9. the main methods and products used for controlling and managing waste including reduction, re-use and re-cycling methods and how customers can access further information on them  
10. where to refer customers for further help and advice about energy efficiency

Maintain written records of inspection findings

1. the range of methods, formats and conventions for recording information and evidence on the occupancy assessment
2. the required range of information and evidence relating to the home visit as defined by the prescribed Green Deal (or equivalent programme) occupancy assessment methodology and any associated guidance and conventions
3. the level of detail within your records required to produce a complete and comprehensive Green Deal (or equivalent programme) Advice Report and justify your decisions on the values recorded and advice given
4. the importance of making and maintaining records in accordance with the relevant data protection legislation
5. the circumstances in which records can include the fact that information is 'unknown' and the evidence required to support this choice
6. confirm that records can be accessed for future use when required by relevant organisations
7. the role and obligations of your Certification scheme in respect of auditing your records of inspection findings

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Methods:

• face to face questioning 
• telephone interview
• customer completion questionnaires
• observing the customer during the home visit 

Constraints:

• financial
• tenure
• time 

Tenures/sectors:

• social rented
• private rented
• owner occupied
• flats and apartment blocks
• houses in multiple occupation 

Relevant information:

• legible and detailed visit notes relating to the occupancy assessment
• clear site sketches (plan, elevation) to give an adequate record of the occupancy assessment for audit purposes
• clear photographs containing mandated data (e.g. time and date) appropriately staged and annotated where necessary
• legibly completed questionnaires or records of conversations
• records of web searches or other research
• records of fuel bills seen and meter readings taken
• any other information you consider necessary to support your decisions
• any other information required by Scheme Operating Requirements

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1

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06 Jan 2024

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Current

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Original

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Instructus

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ASTGDA2

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Architects, Building and Construction, Construction, Planning and the Built Environment, Professional Occupations, Town Planners and Surveyors

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3541

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prescribed methodology; RDSAP methodology; energy consumption; green deal advice report; occupancy assessment; fuel poverty; energy efficiency measures; green deal finance; energy consumption; green deal (or equivalent programme)

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