Independent energy consultant
Shropshire and the West Midlands
Independent advice before you spend thousands on your building.
Thinking about solar, a heat pump, insulation, battery storage or air conditioning? I help you understand what your building actually needs, what is worth doing and what is not, before you commit to expensive work.
I am a homeowner
Solar, heat pumps, insulation, cooling and EPCs.
See what I do and what it costs→I run a business or let property
Commercial EPCs, MEES, energy efficiency, solar and running costs.
Services and rates→Or ring me on 07852 545753. A free fifteen-minute call to work out whether there is a job here.
Experience on both sides of the energy conversation.
I am Jim Thomas, an independent energy consultant based in Shropshire. I survey buildings for private homeowners, local authorities and housing associations, and I have previous experience selling and specifying solar and cooling systems.
That gives me an unusual perspective. I understand how buildings perform, and I also understand how energy projects are designed, specified and priced.
My job is to bring those two sides together and give you a clear, independent view of what makes sense for your property. And when a project needs a specialist, I work with people whose work I know and trust rather than simply passing you a list of installers.
More about how I work →
Independent advice.
No product to push.
I do not sell solar panels, heat pumps, batteries or insulation. That means my recommendation is not tied to a particular product or installation.
My job is to work out what makes sense for your building, and when you are ready to proceed, help you find the right people to deliver it.
Why use an independent energy consultant?
No product to sell
My recommendations are not tied to a particular manufacturer or technology.
Whole-building approach
I consider fabric, heating, cooling, generation, storage and how the building is actually used.
Real-world experience
I understand both energy assessment and the installation industry.
Clear recommendations
You get a practical plan rather than a report full of technical jargon.
Independent, but not hands-off
If you decide to proceed, I can help you find the right specialists and coordinate the work.
Five stars, and all of them say the same thing.
There is so much information out there around insulation, ventilation and Solar that it can be difficult to know what is actually worthwhile and what is simply being sold to you.
Jim was knowledgeable, professional and very thorough. He explained the different options clearly, what improvements would have the biggest impact, and importantly, the order in which they should be considered.
After being bombarded with sales calls, various quotes and prices for insulation, ventilation and Solar PV I was very happy to receive some independent advice from an experienced assessor.
I actually know what my property Energy Performance Certificate score will be after the works are completed. Jim is friendly, efficient and extremely knowledgable whilst explaining everything in terms I understand.
I needed an energy survey done quickly. Jim was fast, efficient, friendly and very nice to deal with. I highly recommend him.
Do not get three quotes yet.
It is the obvious first move, but it is not always the best one. You fill in three forms and can quickly end up with three different recommendations, each based on the products and systems that particular company installs.
The issue is not necessarily the advice. It is the starting point. A solar company will naturally assess whether solar works for you. A heat pump specialist will assess whether a heat pump works for you.
An independent assessment starts one step earlier: what does the building actually need, and where will your money have the greatest impact?
Work out what the building needs first. Then get quotes, against a specification, from people pricing the same job.
The order matters as much as the technology.
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Fabric
Insulation, draughts and ventilation. Fix the fundamentals first, because they influence everything that follows.
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Heat
Heating and cooling, sized against the building you will have, not simply the one you have today.
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Generation
Solar, sized against your actual and future energy use rather than today's bill alone.
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Storage
Battery and tariff strategy, once there is something worth storing and shifting.
Do these in the wrong order and you can end up paying twice for the same saving. That is the whole reason this business exists.
What happens if you get in touch.
No sales visit, no obligation, and nobody ringing you afterwards.
- You tell me what is prompting the question
- High bills. A quote you are unsure about. Buying or renovating. An EPC you need to improve. A free fifteen-minute call.
- I look at the building and your energy use
- A proper visit. Fabric, heating, power, controls, and how the place is actually used. Twelve months of bills makes it a good deal more accurate.
- You get an independent written plan
- Your realistic options, costed and ranked, in the order they should happen. Including what is not worth doing at your property, and why.
- You decide what, if anything, to do
- The report is yours. Take it to any installer, or put it in a drawer. There is no next step you are obliged to take and I will not chase you.
- If you decide to proceed, I can help manage it
- I bring in the right specialists, hold them to the agreed specification, compare quotes written against the same scope, and help see the project through to completion and certification.
For businesses, landlords and commercial property owners.
Understand your building before investing in it. From commercial EPCs and MEES compliance to solar PV, energy efficiency and running costs, I help businesses and property owners understand where energy improvements can deliver the greatest return.
Whether you are looking to reduce operating costs, improve an EPC rating, assess the viability of solar or plan a wider decarbonisation project, I can give you an independent view before you commit to a solution.
Commercial EPCs
Clear, compliant EPC assessments with practical recommendations for improvement.
Energy and solar assessments
Understand your energy use, solar potential, battery options and likely returns before approaching installers.
MEES and improvement planning
Identify practical improvements for commercial properties, and understand what needs addressing and why.
Am I the right person for you?
I am probably a good fit if
- You are thinking about solar but do not know whether it suits your place
- You have several quotes and they contradict each other
- You are considering a heat pump and have no idea where to start
- Your bills seem higher than they ought to be and you cannot see why
- You are buying or renovating and want the order right
- You are a landlord facing an EPC or compliance deadline
- You want a proposal sense-checked before you sign it
You may not need me if
- You already know exactly what you want and simply want it installed
- You have one simple job with no real decision attached
- You want the cheapest possible price rather than the right answer
If you already know exactly what you need and simply want it installed, you may be better going directly to a good installer. My role is to help when there is a decision to make, where different technologies, specifications, costs or priorities need to be considered.
Independent advice, specialist installation.
My role is to establish what your building needs, identify the best options and help you make the right decision.
Where specialist design or installation is required, I bring in the appropriate qualified professionals. That means you get independent advice without paying twice for technical work that an installer is required to complete as part of their own certification.
- Survey the building and how it is used
- Energy assessment and EPC work
- Identify realistic options and indicative costs
- Rank the options and explain what to prioritise, and what to skip
- Review quotes, specifications and projected savings
- Brief specialists and review their work
- Help manage the project through to completion
- Heat loss calculations and system design
- Structural and roof loading assessments
- Electrical capacity and supply applications
- Refrigerant work and F-Gas
- Specialist commercial assessment and retrofit coordination
- Tender and framework submissions
- Installation and commissioning
Jim Thomas
Domestic Energy Assessor · PAS 2035 Retrofit Assessor · RdSAP 10 · Worfield, near Bridgnorth
Read more about my background →Let us work out whether there is anything worth doing.
Tell me about the building and what has prompted the question. I will come back to you honestly about whether I think there is a worthwhile project to pursue.
Sometimes the answer is no, and that conversation may have saved you thousands.
No charge, no sales visit, nothing to sit through.
- 07852 545753
- jim@jimthomasenergy.co.uk
- Worfield, Shropshire