Self employed role: Energy Adviser

Key roles:
• Providing energy advice calls/visits on behalf of Cumbria
Action for Sustainability (CAfS) as part of their Cold to Cosy
Homes project
• Providing energy advice calls/visits on behalf of the Local
Energy Advice Partnership (LEAP) funded by AgilityEco and
contracted to CAfS

Full details & how to apply

Please apply by completing the application form below. We do not accept CVs. If you are interested, and would like to discuss the role in further detail, please contact [email protected] or call our office on 01768 210276.

Application Form – Energy Adviser

Background

CAfS provides a service directly to clients via its Cold to Cosy Homes project, offering free-of-charge telephone advice calls and follow-up visits and/or inhome advice visits. The eligibility requirements of Cold to Cosy Homes are designed to target households that either are already in, or are at risk of falling into fuel poverty. It is open to all types of householders – homeowners, private renters and social housing tenants.
CAfS also provides the service via LEAP. CAfS is contracted to provide the service directly through our own employees, and also via contractor(s).
These services include:
• Home assessment.
• Installation of free simple energy-saving measures such as LED light bulbs and draught-proofing.
• Checking for best energy tariff via a dedicated energy switching service.
• Arranging a free money advice consultation.
• Referring clients for other funding to enable further energy-saving home improvements.

Self Employed role

Advisers will work on a self-employed basis, providing their own insurance (details below) and paying their own tax & National Insurance. Work is not guaranteed and will vary throughout the year, with the peak period being between September and March. You will be required to be available as a minimum of 1 day a week for three calls. We expect there to be more work available.

COVID-19

Following suspension of home visits during the pandemic, as of September 2021 it has been deemed safe for these to recommence provided strict guidelines are
adhered to in order to protect the safety of both the adviser and the client. Where preferred by clients, we are also offering telephone-based energy advice
with a brief follow-up visit (FUV) if necessary / appropriate.

These calls and FUVs are booked in via the LEAP contact centre in the same way as home visits. Easy energy-saving measures (such as LED lightbulbs, TV
standby plugs and chimney balloons) can be sent out by LEAP instead of being installed by advisers. If the client is not able to fit these measures themselves,
they can be fitted as part of an FUV at a later date.

Telephone Advice Calls

Advice Calls are expected to take between 45 minutes and an hour, to include any pre-call preparation and post-call administration. Fee is fixed at £30 per call. A maximum of 5 calls may be completed in one day. Additional fees are payable for further onward referrals completed.

Follow-Up Visits

These are expected to take around 30 minutes, but advisers should be in the client’s property for no more than 45 minutes as a maximum. Fee is fixed at £45 per visit and covers all costs associated with visiting client. A maximum of 6 FUVs may be completed in one day.

Full Home Visits

Visits are usually 1.5 to 2 hours. Experienced advisers can typically complete up to 3 visits in a full working day – depending on geographical locations of visits.
Fee is £80 for a standard visit. Additional fees are payable for further onward referrals completed. Fee is fixed and covers all costs associated with visiting the client.

Draught-proofing specification

Energy Advisers can also specify the details of draught-proofing to be fitted by a professional installer. Advisers use the CAfS CRM system to do this, and a fee of
£15 per completed case is paid for this specification.

Advice

Energy-saving advice is provided on behalf of CAfS and is of an equivalent level and type to the advice covered by the Energy Awareness City and Guilds Level 3
course, provided by National Energy Action. Advisers are required to hold this qualification or be qualified as Level 3 Domestic Energy Assessors. For suitable experienced applicants we may be able to support the completion of the L3 course.

Payment

Adviser paid on completion of visits/calls, invoiced to CAfS monthly using a CAfS invoice template.

Availability for visits/calls 

Advice visits and calls are arranged by CAfS or LEAP for the adviser, for days that the adviser chooses and specifies as available (via online calendar). Advisers need to be available for this work at least one day per week (Monday to Friday) and should agree with CAfS the days they are normally available, to enable CAfS to provide sufficient availability to meet demand across the team of advisers.
Higher volumes of visits usually take place September to April. February and March are the busiest months.

Following up work / activity

There is little follow-up work required. Customer enquires with CAfS or LEAP if they have follow-up questions, and these are usually actioned by said
organisation, not the adviser. Occasionally CAfS or LEAP will contact adviser if required. Client does not contact adviser directly.

DBS

The adviser is required to have current basic DBS clearance (less than three years old) at all times when undertaking advice work.

Insurance Cover

Advisers are required to have: Public Liability Insurance: cover of at least £5m required.
Professional Indemnity Insurance: cover of at least £2.5m required.

Contract

A contract between CAfS and the contractor is agreed and signed before visits and/or calls commence.

Required Equipment for each Home Energy Adviser for home visits
To complete home advice visits and fit basic measures the following equipment is required. Advisers should supply the equipment, and all the items are required
for each visit:
• Hammer for fitting draught-proofing strips
• Wire-cutter for cutting draught-proofing strips
• Screwdriver to fit door-brushes and letterbox brushes
• Torch or lamp to enable loft inspections
• Stepladder to change bulbs – eg this one
• Telescopic ladders to enable loft inspections eg this one
• Heavy-duty Scissors to trim radiator panels
• Stapler to connect radiator panels as required
• Stainless steel Ruler (30cm) to measure loft insulation depth
• Tablet device (iPad preferred, 2015 or later model) with internet
connection
• Rubber gloves to change light bulbs
• Over-shoe covers
CAfS may be able to provide some of the above equipment. For anything else,
items can be claimed on expenses (up to a maximum of £500) after completion
of 15 home visits.

Location

We are particularly looking for advisers in the districts of Allerdale, Barrow and Copeland though this is by no means a requirement for a successful application.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

Due to the large area that Cumbria covers, advisers will need access to a car and have the ability to travel independently throughout at least 2 Cumbrian Local Authority areas.
*CAfS may be able to provide suitable candidates with training to gain this qualification.