Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA) and Home Inspectors numbers updated
After our recent article, should i train as a domestic energy assessor? which has received a massive number of comments and strength of feeling within the responses; we have decided to follow this up with the latest announcement by the Government.
The Government periodically announces combined numbers of Domestic Energy Assessors and Home Inspectors and breaks the figures down into the stage they have achieved at the time of reporting. The numbers continue to rise from the last published figures on the 6th March 2008. As of 23rd May 2008 the official numbers are:
Accredited (DEA & HI) – 7,930 (increase of 829 from 6/3/08)
Qualified (DEA & HI) – 1,464 (passed exams and qualified, but not yet become accredited)
Passed exams (DEA & HI) – 4,816
Total (DEA & HI) in system who have passed exams or progressed further – 14,210 (increase of 2,784 from 6/3/08)
It is worth remembering that these figures do not show those that are currently practicing. It is anticipated that both Domestic Energy Assessors and Home Inspectors (whom many have never carried out enough Home Condition Reports even to regain a fraction of the training costs) have left the industry. It is sad that these people have been unable to survive within the industry; often citing a lack of instructions and income as the main defining reason for leaving to find alternative employment.
We have also included the regional breakdown figures of DEAs/HIs accredited with an indication of the increase of numbers since 6th March 2008.
North East 368 + 22
North West 947 + 102
Yorkshire & The Humber 582 + 45
East Midlands 618 + 83
West Midlands 743 + 73
East of England 789 + 61
London 644 + 61
South East 1289 + 124
South West 1021 + 111
Wales 426 + 50
Unknown 503 + 97
Total 7930 + 829
Industry professionals continue to believe that a realistic number of Domestic Energy Assessors (DEA) required is in the region of 2500-4000. It is hard to place a figure on required numbers of Home Inspectors (HI) as the Home Condition Report (HCR) which they were originally expected to complete continues to be entirely voluntary with no major signs in it becoming manadatory within the Home Information Pack.
For those DEAs and HIs currently practicing it is causing great concern that these numbers are allowed to grow at such an alarming rate. But what can be done?
It does appear that there are training providers that are still successfully ‘selling’ the DEA dream, of which realistically how many have been achieved?
Is it right that training providers are allowed to continue to provide training courses to people who will in most cases not be able to secure work once qualified?
With the above facts, it begs the question when will the expanding numbers of DEAs cease?
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