Rose Tinted Glasses

I look at the world sometimes through "rose tinted" glasses. I have spent the lottery winnings on 50+ occassions in my head/daydreams (the most I have ever won is £10). I started a new career as a self employed domestic energy assessor just as the recession started to hit the UK properly.
I am sure you can see the theme that does run through all of my life - I am hopeful at all times, I want to believe the best about people and always try and stay cheery.

But sometimes when I look closely at things like I have done over the past 2-3 weeks and I get to see a large picture I can get very frustrated!

I have seen all the promotion and brilliant websites in New Zealand, Sweden etc, all the grants available in France, Canada, the assessors friend in Australia - Christine Milne and the fact that they set the fees, the USA talking about how energy efficency will be another "granite worktop" and highly valued in a property and then we look at the UK.

We have a brilliant tool - the Energy Performance Certificate and we have accredited, CRB checked, domestic and commercial assessors who love their job. But we have a website that is dreary and little promotion of the EPC, we have training providers guaranteeing work that isn't there, we have undercutting on prices and devaluing of the assessment.

This is what I would like to see happen:
1. Fees set.
2. Training providers fined - and the fine published for all to see
3. A better website.
4. More grants available and they are promoted.
5. Energy efficency in a property is a marketable asset.
6. A champion for energy assessors.
7. Thorough promotion of the EPC and its value (and commercial EPCs)

Thats just the tip of my wish list but when you look at it it wouldn't be that hard to achieve and it would benefit so many. The UK is a country to be proud of but we need to promote ourselves better.