HIPs U-turn forces energy assessor out of business

In the wake of the government’s U-turn on HIPs the market leader in training and providing energy assessors has announced today that it has shut up shop.

Energy-assessors.com is currently training up 1,000 potential assessors but now ceases to exist and has passed all of its members on to its sister company property-careers.com.

The ceased company’s director Stephen Callaghan said the move was as a result of the government’s sensational climbdown a fortnight ago. The two-month delay on HIPs would have cost the group around £500,000 as they waited for the revenue they expected by providing inspectors to Hip providers.

He said: “Regrettably, in light of the government’s announcement last week on the future of HIPs, Connells Group and LSL Property Services (LSL), the joint venture partners of energy-assessors.com, have decided that no further investment in this company is considered appropriate at this uncertain time.

“However, because of the EU Performance of Buildings Directive requiring all properties to have an EPC, the longer term future for domestic energy assessors is still assured. This Directive must be delivered no later than January 2009. The 1,000 energy assessors currently undergoing training will continue to train through sister company property-careers.com.”

Energy-assessors.com was launched in March 2007 in a joint venture between LSL Property Services (LSL) and Connells Group.