Non Domestic BER by the back door

trad

I've just had a representative of a well known BER Training company offering training via City and Guilds to do non domestic BERs. A level 7 qualification is not needed nor is membership of a professional organisation. The only stipulation is that you must be a current BER assessor. I'm waiting for more details.

Anyone any views?

sinnerboy

http://www.sei.ie/Your_Building/BER/Non_Domestic_Buildings/Registration_of_Non-Domestic_BER_Assessors/#august

(You are being lied to )


.

trad

Still waiting for the email with the details......

sinnerboy

Send it to SEI for comment when you get it

Jimbo

I've got presumably the same email.

Heres an extract:

Domestic BER Assessors can qualify to register as Non Domestic BER Assessors if you undertake a City & Guilds Non Domestic BER Course by 31st July 2009.

There are currently 206 SEI Registered Non Domestic BER Assessors in Ireland, SEI estimate that up to 500 full time assessors will be required to meet the market demands.

SEI’s current criteria to register as a non domestic BER Assessor allows applications from members of Energy Assessor Accreditation Schemes in the UK. _______ offer the City & Guilds Non Domestic Energy Assessor course which will enable you to become a member of Energy Assessor Accreditation Scheme in the UK. This will enable you to register with SEI without holding an ordinary or honours degree or having to undertake the SEI examination for non domestic buildings.

However, SEI have today advised that this process in changing from 1st August and from that date all applications to become a non domestic BER assessor who only be accepted from those holding at least a level 7 ordinary degree qualification in a construction related discipline.



Please note that this is the final opportunity to qualify to become a registered Non Domestic BER Assessor under the current SEI process.

There seems to be a loophole there alright, I wonder if many will use it.

sydthebeat

i got the same as well...

its very surpriseing they are not including a 'built-in' membership of teh UKs city and guilds i ntheir training scheme..

why i wonder... humm... perhaps its not a simple process and perhaps it will take longer then 1st august 2009!!!!! you need to get a portfolio together and send off teh application.....

will you get teh course done, portfolio off and application process in 2 weeks.... highly doubt it!!

be aware, be very aware!!

trad

The same email has just arrived.

Looks like a bit of a one shot opportunity. If you do the course and pass you are in the back door, if you fail you're probably out another €2k.

Is there much happening in the non - domestic scene? The domestic scene is barely covering the investment so far.

sydthebeat

trad wrote: »

The same email has just arrived.

Looks like a bit of a one shot opportunity. If you do the course and pass you are in the back door, if you fail you're probably out another €2k.

Is there much happening in the non - domestic scene? The domestic scene is barely covering the investment so far.

no trad, its not that simple...

trad

If something appears to be too good to be true - it generally is

SilverBER

I had a call yesterday about this too. The course is €2450 over 5 days and the loophole closes in August 1 (according to the guy on the phone). The course consists of 3 days on level 3 buildings, 1.5 days on more complicated buildings and an exam on the Friday afternoon with 8 surveys to be done at home when the course is over.

Supertech

Got the mail yesterday aswell lads. Looks to me like a bit of opportunism. This is presumably the 'UK course' that has been acceptable up until now just offered over here !!
The qualifying criteria for ND Assessors look set to change in August, which will set the educational standard at Level 7 + Membership of Professional Org + Exam. €2500 is a bit much at the minute. I wonder what the fee will be for the standard course in August ?

sinnerboy

That training company ( taking care not to name them ) are shameless shovel sellers

But turning to the SEI requirements - one detail which is not changing is

Level 3 - simple existing non doms - Level 7 qually is ok BUT

Level 4 - simple proposed non doms - Level 7 qually is not ok

So being an AT ( level 7 ) I am ok ( by SEI ) to do the hard bit - existing - but not the - realtively - easy bit - new .

I,m giving this a miss for now

No6

I've heard that too supertech and I for one hope its true, I will then seriously consider doing the non dom training. Note that membership of a prefessional body is still required so for us At's that leaves either the RIAI or CIAT.

holdfast

have the course done and work is very slow, be sure of what your are gettting into looks like they are heaping on the cost just to get a quick buck

SilverBER

I just received an email from SEI in which they basically say that they are closing off this route because there is not enough demand for the amount of assessors on the books at the moment let alone the purported 300 - 500 that they estimate will be required. Pity they didn't take that attitude with Domestic BER assessors.

sinnerboy

No6 wrote: »

I've heard that too supertech and I for one hope its true, I will then seriously consider doing the non dom training. Note that membership of a prefessional body is still required so for us At's that leaves either the RIAI or CIAT.

No 6 - the Level 7/3 and Level 8/4 situation remains ... So existing non doms only for AT's for now .

No6

sinnerboy wrote: »

No 6 - the Level 7/3 and Level 8/4 situation remains ... So existing non doms only for AT's for now .

I got the impression sinnerboy from someone that prior experience would also be taken into acount so you never know, I certainly will not bother unless i can do at least level 4, pointless otherwise.

SilverBER

I had a pretty intense phone call yesterday from one of the larger training providers about the non dom course. It was a really hard selling technique. I recently had occasion to view a couple of warehouse units that I was interested in buying. They were at a development and there were 8 units ranging in size from 3,000 sq ft to 12,000 sq ft. During the tour I asked if a BER cert was required for the units and how much they were charged for them. The developer told me that he had 12 units done as a package at an average cost of €160 plus VAT per unit.
I told the training provider nuisance this and that I felt that the only people who were making money out of the BER thing were the training providers themselves, at which he blew a fuse. I also told him that I resented the hard selling technique because I was in possession of an email from SEI to say that there was not the demand for the 300 - 500 assessors they originally estimated would be required and that the training providers were simply flooding the market at the final hours of the window for BER assessors to train in the non dom course. Anything to make more money by these people, they sicken me.

BlackEdelweiss

Yoy think its bad that they are sending these emails out to domestic BER assessors, here is an email I received today.

Dear Lighting Consultant,

Lighting Consultants can qualify to register as Non Domestic BER Assessors if you undertake a City & Guilds Non Domestic BER Course by 31st July 2009.

@ Training offer the City & Guilds Non Domestic Energy Assessor course which will enable you to become a member of Energy Assessor Accreditation Scheme in the UK. This will enable you to register with SEI without holding an ordinary or honours degree or having to undertake the SEI examination for non domestic buildings.

However, SEI have today advised that this process in changing from 1st August and from that date all applications to become a non domestic BER assessor will only be accepted from those holding at least a level 7 ordinary degree qualification in a construction related discipline.

C****** Training are delivering City & Guilds Non Domestic Energy Assessor courses in Dublin and Cork on 27th July, with limited places remaining, which will enable you to qualify under the current criteria. For further information please call Mr X today.

Please note that this is the final opportunity to qualify to become a registered Non Domestic BER Assessor under the current SEI process.

Kind Regards,






Talk about trying to grab every penny they can get, while destroying another industry.

SilverBER

They also told me that I would get €1,200 per assessment and that it was a great revenue stream. Then he told me that there are 75 assessments being registered every week. When I told him that I saw an invoice for €120 plus VAT for a commercial ber in a 10,000 sq ft unit he pulled his horns in.

RVR

Email received just now. Looks like the trainers are lobbying hard for an extension!!!!!

Dear BER Assessor

Further to our previous email of 17th July 2009, you will be aware that it was SEI’s intention that the Route 2 option to registration as an interim non-domestic BER assessor would cease with effect from 1st August 2009.

SEI recognises that persons may have already booked on to relevant courses beyond this date and for that reason has extended the deadline for participation in and completion of training by FOURTEEN DAYS to 14th August 2009.

On this basis, persons who on or before 14th August 2009 attend and complete training courses established to facilitate persons in Ireland to join certain UK Energy Assessor Accreditation Schemes will be eligible to apply under the Route 2 option, provided they meet all other attaching conditions. On or immediately after that date SEI will require training providers to supply it with the names and addresses, date of training and outcome of training for all such persons.....

......trainers will be required to notify SEI by close of business 31st July of the names and addresses of all persons registered to attend these courses – only these persons will be considered for the above 14 day extension.....

......Persons who have attended training courses on or before 14th August 2009 and who consequently become members of a non-domestic Energy Assessor Accreditation Scheme in the UK, and fulfil all other requirements of the Interim Route 2 for registration, will be eligible to apply up to 31st December 2009 for registration as interim non-domestic BER assessors.

sinnerboy

We would like to reiterate that SEI considers we are already well on course towards meeting the ultimate demand for BER service provision in the non-domestic buildings sector. All candidates should ensure that they are happy with the potential business opportunity before investing money in training or in registering with SEI.

lucky-colm

realy glad that iam a member of boards now, ye guys just saved €2500. i only got the email last week so i replied to it and this morning a guy rang me up saying he had (luckily enough) only one space remaining for a course in cork next week when i asked the price he quoted €2495 and when i said that this sounded very expensive he blabbered on about the amt of money to be made out of it with prices for a ber cert starting at €500 upwards to €1500 and even €2000 he then went on to mention that they would be registering me with the london city and guilds institution and that this would cost €700 but it was all included in the price.

got to admit he kinda had me to that point it sounded very suspicious cos my brother is into health and safety and he has a lot of l.c.g.i. courses done and he never mentioned that kind of money for registering with them so i rang him and he said the last time he registered with l.c.g.i. which was about 2yrs ago it cost a whopping €20.
so suspicion arroused i decided to come home at dinner time to check the net about this and low and behold i come upon this thread, i have to agree and i think we are all talking about the same "reputable" training provider. it was basically the same pitch they used when selling their domestic course and now the market is flooded with assessors.

going to stay well clear of this one
thanks guys

recedite

Yeah I agree, heres an e-mail I got from them the other day.

Dear Hairdresser,

Hairdressers can qualify to register as Non Domestic BER Assessors if you undertake a City & Guilds Non Domestic BER Course by 31st July 2009.

@ Training offer the City & Guilds Non Domestic Energy Assessor course which will enable you to become a member of Energy Assessor Accreditation Scheme in the UK. This will enable you to register with SEI without holding an ordinary or honours degree or having to undertake the SEI examination for non domestic buildings.

However, SEI have today advised that this process in changing from 1st August and from that date all applications to become a non domestic BER assessor will only be accepted from those holding at least a level 7 ordinary degree qualification in a construction related discipline.

C*** Training are delivering City & Guilds Non Domestic Energy Assessor courses in Dublin and Cork.........

r-i-tect

recedite wrote: »

Yeah I agree, heres an e-mail I got from them the other day.

Dear Hairdresser,

Hairdressers can qualify to register as Non Domestic BER Assessors if you undertake a City & Guilds Non Domestic BER Course by 31st July 2009.

@ Training offer the City & Guilds Non Domestic Energy Assessor course which will enable you to become a member of Energy Assessor Accreditation Scheme in the UK. This will enable you to register with SEI without holding an ordinary or honours degree or having to undertake the SEI examination for non domestic buildings.

However, SEI have today advised that this process in changing from 1st August and from that date all applications to become a non domestic BER assessor will only be accepted from those holding at least a level 7 ordinary degree qualification in a construction related discipline.

C*** Training are delivering City & Guilds Non Domestic Energy Assessor courses in Dublin and Cork.........

I spoke to a plumber who did the course last year to upskill his knowledge on the subject, but not to carry out any audits. He aired his concerns about the course when the group consisted of a teacher, hairdresser, and a farmer. He felt it was a money grabbing exercise and after reading all the posts it seems to be so.

anglinarch

After reading this post not sure there is much point in doing this course, but here was my problem.......

I would like to enrol in the non domestic ber course but I'm not sure i have the requirements needed?

I have 3 years experience in practise, I have a masters degree in Architecture, so i can only become a Graduate Member of the RIAI

has anyone had the problem of trying to become a non domestic ber assessor as a graduate member of the RIAI?

i am unable to become a MRIAI as I've not passed my professional exams (know as the part 3).

has anyone else become a assessor as a graduate member for non domestic with the sei?

topcatcbr

Join one of the more inclusive professional bodies. A masters will get you into many and then proceed.

anglinarch

good idea thanks

does anyone know how much work is in the ber non domestic market?

sinnerboy

see post 22

... very little

anglinarch

what is the going rate, for example a office building of over 2000sqm?

maybe im mad, but I was thinking of doing this course and figure ill make the money back that i spent in the first year? plus i dont think it will be long before all planning application will need a ber cert. plus this would help the architects, designers spec the materials used.

seems strange how this is not in already? is it not standard practice in the uk?

lucky-colm

silverber reports a few posts back that 10,000sq ft unit costs €120 plus vat for a ber a far cry from the €500-€1500 being quoted by the training providers.

interesting to note when i trained as a domestic new dwelling assessor i was told that you could command €400+vat for a ber and at the existing dwelling course i was told that you could charge €500+vat now i find that you would be lucky to get €150-€180 vat included for a cert. and during these courses you were constantly told of the money that was to be made out of doing air thightness courses and using infared camera courses each costing €800-€900 to do,it really was a waste of time and good money.:mad: