Institute with Royal Charter welcomes competent assessors
The Energy Institute has agreed to welcome Energy Assessors as recognised Technician Members following a plea to its Professional Affairs Committee by Home Inspector Forum (HIF) member, Michael Downworth (mickyd), of Green Surveys Ltd in County Durham. (Read his thread: Energy Institute membership for DEAsHIs/CEAs)
The Energy Institute (EI), which recently elected Shell UK Chairman, James Smith, as President, boasts a “combined membership of over 14,000 individuals and 300 companies across 100 countries,” according to its website, and describes itself as “the leading chartered professional membership body for those working and studying in energy.”
Prior to Mr Downworth’s approach, the institute, which enjoys a Royal Charter and is licensed by the Engineering Council (UK), couldn’t accept energy assessors unless they could provide the necessary “evidence of competences”, which includes a “Sponsor’s Reference”.
A sticking point.
Competent energy assessors only please
However, Mr Downworth, himself a qualified Home Inspector and Non-Domestic Energy Assessor, didn’t give up: “I decided to speak to the Energy Institute on the subject of self-employed Energy Assessors using their accreditation schemes as sponsors for TMEI (Technician Member of the Energy Institute). The Energy Institute's professional affairs committee met, and after careful consideration, concluded that if a sponsor meeting the current requirements could not be found then the EI would accept a reference from the accreditation scheme,” he explained to me yesterday.
In an email to Mr Downworth, James Relf, the Professional Membership Manager for the EI, explained how the Membership Panel also looks for “around 2-3 years relevant energy-related experience” as further evidence of competency (although the timeframe is not set in stone, apparently).
How to get sponsored
Applicants can be sponsored in one of two ways: by submitting a “Sponsor’s Reference” from an existing professional Member of the Energy Institute (or other professional membership organisation) ; or, if that’s not possible, a sponsorship letter from your accreditation scheme.
“The [accreditation] scheme must detail how long the Energy Assessor has been accredited, the number of assessments carried out, and that they have satisfied auditing and CPD requirements,” wrote Mr Relf in his email.
Participating accreditation schemes (known about)
BRE Technical Co-ordinator, Ben Curtis, told me: “We would not stand in the way of energy assessors wishing to join,” he said, and confirmed BRE would sponsor energy assessors, as appropriate.
Quidos, which has also had talks with the EI, has confirmed on the HIF it will, “sponsor any of our members should they require it for EI membership.”
NHER has told Mr Downworth - who is with the accreditation scheme - that it will look at sponsoring its members “on a case by case basis.” Downworth says it is already sponsoring his own application.
Elmhurst is reported to be on-board now, according to HIF member, rattymatty (Colin Bailey).
Stroma is digesting it at the time of this post (I will update once I hear back).
I’ve not had time to contact the other schemes before publication - again, I will update if/once I hear anything.
How much?
This is (surprisingly) the good bit!
Annual membership is £57.
There is an application fee of £30, but it’s a one-off.
Well deserved recognition for experience assessors
I’ll let Michael Downworth, who deserves a beer for his work on this by the way, have the last say: “The Energy Institute is the leading chartered professional membership body for those working and studying in energy, and as such, I think that professional membership for Energy Assessors would be beneficial. The EI has said that from the recent changes in sponsorship requirements it "hopes the change will encourage more applications for TMEI membership from accredited Energy Assessors."
“I think the recognition from a chartered membership body is well deserved for experienced Energy Assessors.”
Download: TMEI application form with guidance notes (pdf).
Download: Sponsors reference form (pdf).
Energy Institute membership grades – scroll halfway-down to find TMEI grade.
