Becoming a WHET Energy Tracer

What it entails

• Need not have any prior experience
• Will receive extensive training in a certified course
• Will receive customer details from WHET
• Will be supplied with all the equipment
• Will have on-the-job advice and technical support available during surveys
• Will be supplied with the energy saving information packs to be left with householders after surveys

The survey equipment:

• Is loaned free of charge
• Is repaired or replaced by WHET (when needed)
• Can easily be carried on foot or by bicycle

The equipment taken to each household is:

• A mobile phone on a 'selfie-stick' with an in-built propriatory InfraRed camera specially developed for Energy Tracers
• An on-line Internet link back to the technical support team, for in-survey technical and procedural advice
• A tablet, enabling the surveyor and householder to see, discuss and understand the problems
• A light-weight fan and door-filler which is used to create a slight negative pressure within the entire home so that any air leaks become obvious (regardless of the outside weather)
• The energy-saving information pack to be left with the householder

The survey camera makes a video record of the thermal scans and of the surveryor's verbal comments and suggestions for DIY fixes. The householder is left with a memory stick containing this video and audio record, as well as the extensive 'energy saving' information pack and monitoring equipment.

No written survey reports are produced.

What the survey can find

The imager typically is adjusted to show cold areas in blue, hot in red. An actual termperature measurement is taken where the cross-hairs meet in the middle of the scan.

The image below shows problems with a badly-fitted window.

This second image shows where cavity wall insulation was badly installed or has slumped over time, leaving gaps and uninsulated areas.

Working as a WHET Energy Tracer

• Energy tracing is seasonal work - it cannot be done when outside temperatures are above 20℃
• No "cold calling" is involved - the WHET office will supply all the contacts
• No travel expenses are paid - the aim (for environmental reasons) is to match tracers with survey sites within a few miles of their homes
• With experience, Energy Tracers can undertake three surveys in a day
• The amount paid depends on the size of the home being surveyed - around £80 for a typical house
• So a Tracer surveying 2 houses per day & working 5 days a week could earn £800 per week

About the Worcestershire and Herefordshire Energy Tracers

Worcestershire and Herefordshire Energy Tracers will be registered as a Community Interest Company (CIC) - a social enterprise which uses its profits and assets for the public good.

All operating surpluses will be returned to participating local environmental and community groups.

• Purchase / construction of survey eqipment
• Cost of initial training and on-line support for Tracers
• Maintenance and replacement of equipment
• Design, publication and printing of energy-saving advice packs which are left with the householder
• "Back office" costs for the staff, web site and database taking customer bookings and matching households to surveyors
• Cost of financial staff and systems processing customer payments and paying Tracers
• Advertising and marketing costs

Want to become one of the first WHET Energy Tracers?

We are now inviting expressions of interest from people in Worcestershire or in Herefordshire wanting to become an Energy Tracer.

Please complete this survey, and we'll be in touch.