Volunteer Training for Home Energy Advice Visits
Our volunteer training programme consists of three half days, each divided into two sessions with an additional half day to review and generate the first savings report. Content and timings are flexible and are tailored to match the requirements of individual projects.
The objective of the training programme is to provide volunteers with:
No advance knowledge or experience is required to undertake the training, and by the end of the course the volunteer should have an awareness of:
Analysis of home energy usage is carried out with the aid of our customised tool which covers the following:
The computerised tool will produce a summary Home Energy Advice report specifically customised to each household. Property recommendations may be produced by performing a RdSAP (reduced Standard Assessment Procedure), by entering information into the assessment tool relevant to that property.
The final report identifies all potential savings, makes recommendations for property improvements, behavioural changes and improved appliances. A programme of initial, immediate, low cost steps is proposed and suggestions made for longer term, more expensive improvements.
Producing the final report for householders may be done by the project group. However, it is often felt that this requires a high level of expertise, especially to consider out of the ordinary features discovered during visits. It has often been incorporated into projects for the North Wales Energy Advice Centre to produce the final reports.
Outline of Programme
Session 1(a) - What is Energy?
What is energy, what does it do and how is it measured? What are the costs and consequences, financial and carbon emissions, of using different fuel types (and why)? Heating and hot water requirements compared to electricity use. How much energy do you use?
Session 1 (b) - Where does energy go?
How the UK uses energy. How do you use energy? Where energy goes - background load and waste. Using of energy monitors to identifying waste – setting up and recording
Session 2 (a) - Heating and the home.
Calculating heating and hot water costs, how SAP and EPC/RdSAP can in form us. Cost for different fuels – information on cost for different fuel types (Sutherland tables). Looking at value of household improvements and changes to heating, calculating payback times. Boiler types and setting up heating to operate efficiently.
Session 2 (b) - Cost of heating and electricity.
Checking tariffs and tariff types. Understanding what makes up a tariff rate and the options available. The “Truth” about tariffs (and the real reason direct debit may be best). Other options and social tariffs.
Session 3 (a) - The savings, where they come from and how to work them out.
Washing and drying – savings and costs, how to work it out. Dishwashers – the myth (and why). Replacing appliances. Savings from cold appliances. Lighting. Working out use from cost of energy. Grants for improvements.
Session 3 (b) - Collecting, calculating and reporting.
Collecting the information - the property / behaviour. Making sense of the data. How to report the results.
Session 4 - Back up and review.
Generate the first results from the initial trial surveys.
Our volunteer training programme consists of three half days, each divided into two sessions with an additional half day to review and generate the first savings report. Content and timings are flexible and are tailored to match the requirements of individual projects.
The objective of the training programme is to provide volunteers with:
- Sufficient understanding of the different energy and fuel types.
- Its use and the consequences of unnecessary consumption.
- To be confident to carry out discussions during home visits.
No advance knowledge or experience is required to undertake the training, and by the end of the course the volunteer should have an awareness of:
- All aspects of energy use in the home.
- Be able to collect all the relevant information to input into our customised on-line tools which calculates the energy savings and
- Create customised home energy advice reports.
Analysis of home energy usage is carried out with the aid of our customised tool which covers the following:
- Identifying electricity waste through measuring background load.
- Types and use of washing, cooking and drying appliances.
- Fridges and freezers.
- Property improvements and use of heating and hot water.
- Estimation of energy use of all domestic appliances and electronic equipment.
The computerised tool will produce a summary Home Energy Advice report specifically customised to each household. Property recommendations may be produced by performing a RdSAP (reduced Standard Assessment Procedure), by entering information into the assessment tool relevant to that property.
The final report identifies all potential savings, makes recommendations for property improvements, behavioural changes and improved appliances. A programme of initial, immediate, low cost steps is proposed and suggestions made for longer term, more expensive improvements.
Producing the final report for householders may be done by the project group. However, it is often felt that this requires a high level of expertise, especially to consider out of the ordinary features discovered during visits. It has often been incorporated into projects for the North Wales Energy Advice Centre to produce the final reports.
Outline of Programme
Session 1(a) - What is Energy?
What is energy, what does it do and how is it measured? What are the costs and consequences, financial and carbon emissions, of using different fuel types (and why)? Heating and hot water requirements compared to electricity use. How much energy do you use?
Session 1 (b) - Where does energy go?
How the UK uses energy. How do you use energy? Where energy goes - background load and waste. Using of energy monitors to identifying waste – setting up and recording
Session 2 (a) - Heating and the home.
Calculating heating and hot water costs, how SAP and EPC/RdSAP can in form us. Cost for different fuels – information on cost for different fuel types (Sutherland tables). Looking at value of household improvements and changes to heating, calculating payback times. Boiler types and setting up heating to operate efficiently.
Session 2 (b) - Cost of heating and electricity.
Checking tariffs and tariff types. Understanding what makes up a tariff rate and the options available. The “Truth” about tariffs (and the real reason direct debit may be best). Other options and social tariffs.
Session 3 (a) - The savings, where they come from and how to work them out.
Washing and drying – savings and costs, how to work it out. Dishwashers – the myth (and why). Replacing appliances. Savings from cold appliances. Lighting. Working out use from cost of energy. Grants for improvements.
Session 3 (b) - Collecting, calculating and reporting.
Collecting the information - the property / behaviour. Making sense of the data. How to report the results.
Session 4 - Back up and review.
Generate the first results from the initial trial surveys.