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A chimney “thermally seen” through the wall

Emma Pinchbeck, the chief executive of  ‘Energy UK’ said:

“It’s a really worrying time for both customers and industry.…..you can expect bills to be anywhere between £2,500 and £3,000 in October depending on the tariffs people have and what happens in the market”.

With fuel bills on the increase, financial worries of homeowners have sparked an increase in thermal surveys of Residential Properties.  Homeowners are searching for comprehensive surveys and reports to ensure efficient energy consumption.

A greater number of thermal imaging companies advertise that they can do a “comprehensive survey and report” for an unrealistic amount of money. Many of these unsatisfactory reports have been referred to ThermoSurvey.  The reports frequently contain thermal images which are of poor quality so that they can’t be read/analysed by top Level 3 qualified and experienced thermographers.  The consequence of low quality images and analyses leads to observations and recommendations which are fundamentally flawed.

For anyone who would like a survey – please, please, please ensure that the points below are asked prior to parting with your money:

·       What are the qualifications of the consultants who survey/analyse the property?

The minimum standard qualifications within the industry are a level II ITC or BINDT qualification

·       Which is the camera that is used? What is the resolution of that camera?

The minimum recommended resolution within the industry is 320×240 pixels. Resolutions below this are increasingly difficult to identify thermal anomalies.

Different resolutions in thermal imaging – Image comparison with thanks to Workswell

·       Which part of the property is included within the survey?

A survey should include the whole house internally and externally.

·       At which time of day is the survey to be conducted and what is the weather forecast during that time?

Ideally the temperature difference between the inside and outside should be 10° or more and there should be no sun.

·       Is the format the report will take adhering to industry standards?

These should be based on the Infrared Method (ISO 6781: 1983 modified), or equivalent

Ask these five questions and provided the answers are the right ones, your survey will result in your knowing if any remedial works need to be carried out so that your property works to its most fuel efficient capacity, potentially saving you and the environment ££££.