PS Data Manager

General Issues

Is there a limit on the number of properties I can store in my database and produce EPCs for? Is there a way I can clear my database but keep a backup of all of the property records I have completed encase I need to return to them at a later date? I have entered my data but nothing has appeared in the PS Data Manager, why not and what now? I was under the impression that I had lodged x amount of EPCs through PS Energy however when I use the ‘Lodged’ view in the PS Energy Data Manager it says I have lodged much less than expected. Help! The software has been erased / lost from my computer… Have I lost all of the properties completed so far? I've noticed some minor data input errors after I have entered my data but have not yet lodged the EPC. Can I make the changes without re-entering the data all over again? I've made quite a lot errors and want to re-enter the property into PS Energy, how should I go about this? After lodging the EPC I noticed a few things I inputted wrong that I need to amend before I can re-submit a new one. What should I do!? Is there a way I can create a spreadsheet report from PS Energy that displays certain pieces of information i.e. Property addresses, SAP ratings etc? I cannot find my data in the software but I entered it on the simulator / handheld, is there anyway of getting it back? Is there a PS Energy Field Sheet compliant with the latest version of the RdSAP? What does the Open DB button do? What is the Report button for? What is the Navigator button for? I cannot currently download the Visit List and have to type in the property address details but when uploading I am informed the address is wrong. What am I doing wrong? I have been informed by the Technical Support Team to ‘Send my data to support’. What does this mean and how do I go about it? I have been informed by the Technical Support Team to ‘Receive my data from support’. What does this mean and how do I go about it? I have managed to update my database, select to generate the EPC and select the improvements for my EPC OK but then nothing happens, no EPC pops up like in the tutorial video. When i try and generate an EPC, after the Tick Wanted Improvements screen i get an error message reading 'corrupt file'. I therefore cannot see the EPC. What do i do?

Error Messages

When producing an EPC I am bombarded by error message after error message! Help!! When producing the EPC i get an error saying negative SAP wall area, check my heat loss perimeter. I have checked and it is correct so why?! I update my database and I receive an error message, lots of jargon? Why?! I am getting an error message saying my database has been marked as invalid. What has happened?! My RRN has come up as a bunch of 000’s and will not lodge. What is going on? I am trying to update my software via the Help menu but I am receiving an error message. When trying to retrieve my Surveyor Details / Visit List using the Setup button I am receiving an error message – “1040 no free variables allowed…”. What does this mean? When trying to retrieve my Surveyor Details / Visit List using the Setup button I am receiving an error message – “data api call…”. What does this mean? When trying to retrieve my Surveyor Details / Visit List using the Setup button I am receiving an error message – “missing PS Energy#Property.CSV.CONTROL…”. What does this mean? When I try to send my data to the technical support team via the Help menu in PS Energy I get an error message. What does this mean? When I try to send my data to the technical support team I am asked to confirm this, then backup my database and then nothing? How do I provide details of my problem? When i try and generate an EPC, after the Tick Wanted Improvements screen i get an error message reading 'corrupt file'. I therefore cannot see the EPC. What do i do?

Using the Simulator/PDA

What is this Detailed Site Notes Options question? I want to enter Programmer + TRV’s as the heating control but I do not have the option for this, Why is this? I cannot find my boiler in the Boiler Database? Why is it not there? I have entered my data but nothing has appeared in the PS Data Manager, why not and what now? I have been trained to select a date band when assessing the age of a property but this software asks for a specific date. What do I enter? I cannot find my data in the software but I entered it on the simulator / handheld, is there anyway of getting it back? What do I write in the Related Party Disclosure section? I’m trying to enter into the software that a property has a partial insulated loft area. Less than 50%. Is this possible or is it treated as no insulation? Why can I not enter a flat as having more than one storey? I am confused when entering the floor position of a flat. Apparently the floor position of 3 in a 4-storey block is the top floor? > If I do not understand how to answer a question when entering data what can I do? Is there any way of getting help whilst I’m onsite with my PDA? > Why can't I see the new properties I have added to my visit list on the Simulator / PDA? > I have finished entering data on the simulator / handheld but when I try to update my database I am getting a ‘failed to import’ message. I am surveying a block of flats where a number of the flats are almost identical. Is there a way of copying the same EPC a number of times but making slight alterations to each? Why am I asked what the built form of a flat/maisonette is? If I select that there is no Primary Heating System present in a property, will the software automatically assume electric heaters are in place as outlined in our DEA training notes? The flat I am surveying is technically a Room in the Roof, how do I enter this in PS Energy? How do I specify a basement in a property? I used to be able to do that in the software until recently? When I select ‘Enter Data | Use Handheld’, I receive a connection time out message even though my Handheld is connected. What is going wrong? When I select to enter data using the Handheld device I have purchased the software does not recognise that I have multiple handheld licenses when I am certain I have purchased and used these before. What should I do?

Energy Certificate

Why is my potential EI rating less than my actual EI rating? On Page 1 of the EPC, why is the potential estimated energy usage cost of heating greater than the current?! Why isn't my EPC showing photographs I have taken? The summary table on page 3 of the EPC uses the word 'assumed' a lot i.e. Solid brick, as built, insulated (assumed). How can I tell what these assumptions are? Surely this will result in an inaccurate RdSAP scoring? The Potential SAP and EI ratings on my EPC are the exact same as the actual ratings. Why is there no improvement to the scores despite the wanted improvements I have selected? My surveyor details are blank on page 2 of the EPC? Can I only print the ratings part of the EPC? I don't want my client to second-guess my energy assessment! I want to change my personal details that are printed on each EPC, how do I do this? There are multiple walls showing on my EPC, is this a mistake? My RRN has come up as a bunch of 000’s and will not lodge. What is going on? Why is page 3 of the EPC telling me that my excellent roof insulation is infact 'Poor'? This is strange as before I have been told the same description was 'Average'? Why are there gaps in the summary table on page 3 of the EPC? The client is unhappy that the EPC was not produced the day of the inspection, is there a way of changing the date of inspection on the EPC? I have surveyed a flat that’s main wall is a Cavity wall. The flat also has a Solid Brick wall extension however only one wall is present on page 3 of my EPC. Should there not be multiple walls showing on my EPC? My ratings look too high / low, I need an explanation Can I process multiple EPCs at once? I want to contest the recommendations made on the EPC.... I have a very low SAP rating so why aren’t their more recommendations being suggested? I can think of a few that would help! Why aren’t my recommendations making any improvement to my SAP rating?

EPC Lodgement Portal

General / Login

Why is the website telling me my address details are wrong on the EPC when they are correct! My password of voltage is not working to login to the website? Why won't my login details work to login to the website? Can I only print the ratings part of the EPC? I don't want my client to second-guess my energy assessment! I lodged an EPC but didn't get a confirmation e-mail, why not? Where can i check? When uploading an EPC, the certificate is there but there is nothing in the .UPLOAD folder, why? I lodged an EPC but have received no confirmation e-mail telling me so? Has this been lodged or not? Is there any way that you can check at your end if I have lodged a specific EPC? I uploaded my EPC but i have not received any confirmation of this?

Error Messages

When lodging an EPC I noticed the RRN has come up as a bunch of 000’s and will not lodge. What is going on? When i upload my EPC there are red crosses next to my surveyor details. It appears that all of my surveyor details appear to be blank. What shall i do? When trying to lodge my EPC, it says there is an error with the lodgement even though i have received all green ticks. What should i do? After uploading my EPC, i am told there is a problem with one of my address fields even though it looks exactly the same as the one i am meant to be matching with! What am i doing wrong!

Address Search

I cannot find the address I’m looking for on the address search. The address for a property is wrong, it needs changing.

Miscellaneous / Other

I am used to online systems such as QUEST and NHER, how do I lodge EPCs if PS Energy is offline? I am used to posting my field sheet, floor plans, photos and sketches to my accreditation scheme, can this be done electronically using PS Energy? How do I know if I am using the latest version of the software? I lodged an EPC but didn't get a confirmation e-mail, why not? Where can i check? I was accredited over a week ago, why haven't I heard from PS Energy yet? The client wants a copy of the EPC, where is this saved on my computer? Is there a PS Energy Field Sheet compliant with the latest version of the RdSAP? Why can't I see the new properties I have added to my visit list on the Simulator / PDA? Is there anyway I can get a faster response from my support request? I was under the impression that I had lodged x amount of EPCs through PS Energy however when I use the ‘Lodged’ view in the PS Energy Data Manager it says I have lodged much less than expected. My computer has told me that it cannot recognise my PDA. Please could you give me the instructions on what to do next? I have been informed by the Technical Support Team to ‘Send my data to support’. What does this mean and how do I go about it? I have been informed by the Technical Support Team to ‘Receive my data from support’. What does this mean and how do I go about it? Where do I go to Lodge my EPCs? On the Tutorials page, I try to view the Training videos but nothing appears? I have tried to install the Flash Player but this produced an error message saying that it did not install. I selected the button, which said try again, and no error was show this time but I am not sure that it installed OK. I still cannot view the training videos. Any ideas? I have an DEA Energy Assessment related query… I would like to purchase a PDA to use with PS Energy. What PDA’s are most suitable and how do I go about this? What is a UPRN? Is there a tutorial to learn the software? I have been trained to select a date band when assessing the age of a property but this software asks for a specific date. What do I enter? How much do I pay for the software? Which PDA/Handheld Device can I use? I’m trying to enter into the software that a property has a partial insulated loft area. Less than 50%. Is this possible or is it treated as no insulation? How do I install PS Energy onto another computer? I lodged an EPC but have received no confirmation e-mail telling me so? Has this been lodged or not? Is there any way that you can check at your end if I have lodged a specific report? I am surveying a block of flats where a number of the flats are almost identical. Is there a way of copying the same EPC a number of times but making slight alterations to each? Is there a way I can create a spreadsheet report from PS Energy that displays certain pieces of information i.e. Property addresses, SAP ratings etc? I must admit I am a little confused as to who is responsible for what. There are so many organisations involved, PS Energy, Quidos, RICS, Landmark… Where do I ask for help!? The flat I am surveying is technically a Room in the Roof, how do I enter this in PS Energy? I want to run a copy of PS Energy on my laptop computer as well as my desktop so that I can use both to lodge EPCs, is this possible? If I select that there is no Primary Heating System present in a property, will the software automatically assume electric heaters are in place as outlined in our DEA training notes? Is it possible to download an EPC graph to be sent to the Estate Agents once I have lodged an EPC? When i try and generate an EPC, after the Tick Wanted Improvements screen i get an error message reading 'corrupt file'. I therefore cannot see the EPC. What do i do?

Installation / Re-installation

Q : I have now downloaded and installed the PS Energy software. Where do I start?

We strongly recommend that you make use of our PS Energy Interactive Learning suite at www.ps-energy.co.uk/training. The training videos on offer here will provide you with a thorough step-by-step guide for using PS Energy. Alternatively follow the step-by-step text based instructions below: Once you have launched the PS Energy desktop software (red and white icon on your desktop) focus on the button list on the left of the PS Energy software (this is called the ACTION BAR). Start with the SETUP button. Within this button select Address Search. This will take you to our Web Portal. Login here using your login details provided to you in a previous email from us. Once logged in, select the Address Search menu. Enter the postcode of the property you are to survey into the postcode field (you may want to practice with your own property) and click Basic Search. Find the property from the list of properties that appear and select the 'Add to Visit List' button that is in line with the correct property. This has added the official address details of that property to your PS Energy software so you do not have to enter this manually. You repeat this process whenever you want to be sure you are entering address details correctly. Now you can go back to the PS Energy software. Make sure to take a look at your current Visit List using the SETUP button. Select the SETUP button and select 'Get Visit List'. You will be prompted to download the latest from the Internet (meaning what you have just added using our website). Click Yes. Once you see the property details pop up on screen you can close this down. Now you are ready to enter data for a property.... Select the Enter Data button. Select Use Simulator. Once the simulator appears (mini window prompting questions) you will be asked whether you want to use a visit list or not. If not, you can enter property details manually but since we have already added a property to the visit list you should make sure YES is highlighted and click the OK button. You should now follow through the questions in front of you. Entering data should be quite straightforward however if you need further guidance on how to enter data you should do this alongside our interactive training video on entering data. The important thing to remember is that once you are finished surveying a property you will find yourself back at the Visit List screen - here you need to make sure you select the QUIT button. Once you have done this and see a blue screen, close down the simulator, you are finished with it. Now back in the PS Energy software, click the Update Database button. Select From Simulator. You should see your data appear in your database to the right of the button. The database is split into two, the top half contains each property entered into the software so say there were 5 lines of data, you would have 5 properties in your database. The bottom windowpane changes depending on what you select in the top window. The bottom windowpane shows all of the elements entered for the selected property in the top windowpane. Now we are ready to produce the EPC. Select the button beneath named Energy Certificate. Select Create Energy Certificate. Confirm that you want to do this and hold on for up to a minute whilst the calculations are made. After a short while you will be asked to tick wanted improvements. Confirm the improvements that will appear on the EPC if you agree with them and click OK. If everything has worked correctly you should see the EPC pop up in front of you shortly (not necessarily instantly). If you do not see the EPC at this point you should check you have the latest version of Java installed on your machine. If the EPC has generated OK you can close it down and prepare to lodge... To lodge the EPC, select the Lodgement Portal button. This will take you back to our Web Portal. You may be required to login again. This time instead of selecting the Address Search tab, select Lodgement | Upload EPC. On this page, select the Browse button. On the open file menu that pops up, navigate to your desktop. Select the EPC UPLOADS icon and click the Open button. You should find that you are in a folder that contains a file, which is titled with the postcode of the property you have recently surveyed. Select this file and click Open. Now click Upload.... If everything has run smoothly (if you have entered address details as according to Landmark) you will see a bunch of green ticks. If so you can go ahead and submit this EPC to be lodged. Click the button that reads 'Lodge EPC with Landmark'. You should have now successfully lodged your first EPC. Good luck.

Q : I have installed everything but it is telling me I am not a valid DEA?!

You have not installed you license file correctly. Once you have installed the software you need to install your personalised license. If you have received download instructions via e-mail you will find the license key link beneath the software download link. Alternatively you can login to our web portal and use the download menu to download your license.

Q : I have lost the software, can you send me another download link?

We get a lot of e-mails and phone calls that request the installation e-mail to be sent to them again as they have either lost the original software or want to install it onto a different machine. Before you get in touch with us requesting another download link know that you can download the software and license key from the EPC Lodgement Portal. Login into the website as normal and hover over the Download menu. Please be aware that you can install PS Energy on as many computers as you like, you are not restricted to the one copy on one machine.

Q : I want to download the software onto my laptop as well as my desktop computer so I canproduce EPCs at home and in the office. Is this possible or do I need a second license?

Please be aware that you can install PS Energy on as many computers as you like, you are not restricted to the one copy on one machine. Note that EPCs produced on one computer will not automatically exist on another without moving the EPC over yourself.

Q : I save the installation program to my desktop and have installed the software but everytime I run the software it keeps asking for a password?

You are not using the correct shortcut to the program but are clicking on the installation program by mistake! The correct icon to click on is the 'grey and red' PS Energy shortcut on you desktop. NOTE. When you download a file from the Internet it is best to put it in a 'Download' folder rather than you’re desktop or better still, just run it directly from the Internet.

Q : I want to install PS Energy software to another computer and retain all of the properties I have surveyed thus far. Is this possible?

Although the software is not designed to transfer data between computers, this is do-able. There are three possible ways to do this, depending on how you want to go about it: Method 1 – Copying all files / folder from computer to computer Method 1 allows you to retain all the PDF EPCs from your computer, but also requires you to copy the whole PS Energy folder from one computer to another which will require some sort of external hard drive or flash pen. You first need to locate the PS ENERGY folder on your computer. You then need to copy this whole folder across to the new computer and then re-install the software on that new machine. You can find the PS Energy software installation details from the initial installation e-mail sent to you or from our EPC Lodgement Portal Website (Download menu). When installing the software, make sure you specify the installation location as the place you have moved the folder to on your new computer. Method 2 – Transferring all data via our FTP Server When you use our send to support feature (Help | Send to Support), you are essentially uploading your entire PS Energy database to our FTP server, ready for us to grab hold of this and take a look. Therefore if you want to transfer your data from one P.C to another, you can send your data to our support team and then receive it back on your new computer. Bare in mind that this will transfer your entire database but not the actual EPC PDF files, you will have the data to reproduce these however, should you need. When you are at a point to transfer data from one point to another, follow the instructions below: Sending to Support – storing your database on our server: Open PS Energy, select the Help menu, select Send to Support. Confirm that you want to send your files to the PocketSurvey Technical Support Team. Confirm that you want to Backup your database before sending files. Please wait a moment whilst the support files are being sent... You will eventually be prompted by a web page asking you to give details of your support request. Simply write ‘Backup to transfer to new machine’ in the Comments box and click the Inform the Technical Support Team button. Wait for the Support Acknowledgement web page to appear then close down the web page. We will receive your support request shortly and will set it up so that you can receive this data once on your new machine. You can always e-mail us once you have done this to speed up the support process. Receiving the data back from our server: On your new PC, make sure you have installed PS Energy. Please open PS Energy, select the Help menu, select Receive from Support. Tick all the boxes in the window that pops up. Click OK Click OK to the Restoration Complete message. Now go to the Data menu. Select Database Operations | Restore. Your entire database should now have been restored. Method 3 – Transferring specific property records PS Energy makes it possible to transfer specific property records from your PS Energy database to another. Just note that you must keep track of what you are exporting where as not to create duplicate data entries in a database. Exporting CSV files: Notice the database in the PS Energy software (split into two window panes coloured yellow and light blue). The top half of this database contains each of your property records surveyed. So say there are 6 lines of data here that means you have surveyed 6 properties. You first need to select the properties that you want to export to the other computer. Say you want to export all of the properties in your database to put on another computer... 1) Highlight the properties you wish to export in the top half of your database. A quick an easy method of doing this is to click on any record in the database. If you wish to select all properties simply hold down the CTRL key on your keyboard and press the 'a' key. If you want to select only a few, you can hold down the CTRL key whilst clicking the properties you want to select. 2) Now with everything you want to export selected, go to the Export menu at the top menubar of the software. Select 'CSV - selected'. 3) Now select the Tools menu from the menu bar. Select 'Open Survey Folder'. 4) In the folder that pops open, go into the 'EXPORT' folder. You will notice two files in here titled 'PS Energy#Property.CSV' and 'PS Energy#Element.CSV'. You need to take these two files over to the other computer so copy them across to your data stick (do not rename them!). 5) On your other computer, open the PS Energy software. Click the 'Tools' menu. Select Open Survey Folder. You need to move the two files from your data stick into this 'PS Energy' folder. 6) Now that you have put the two files into this folder, click the 'Merge' button on the Toolbar in the PS Energy software. You should now notice that all the data from the other PC is now also in this database, along with any data you have existing in this database.

PS Data Manager

General Issues

Q : Is there a limit on the number of properties I can store in my database and produce EPCs for?

There is no limit on the number of properties you can survey and store with PS Energy. However keeping an excessive number of properties (e.g. 1000+) in your database at anyone time may cause the performance speed of the software to slow down, depending on the spec of your computer. We recommend that you learn how to archive properties using PS Energy. This means that you can remove properties from your database that can also be restored should you need to bring them back. For more information on Data Archiving see below: View our video on Data Archiving here Archiving Property Records In PS Energy, select the records that you want to archive in the top window pane of the database (to select more than one property hold the CNTL key down on your keyboard whilst clicking properties, or to select every record hold CTRL and press 'a' on your keyboard). Now go to the Data menu. Click Data | Database Operations | Archive. You will be informed that you will be archiving however many property records selected. Click Yes and they will disappear! If you ever wish to restore these property records to your database, simply click Data | Database Operations | Unarchive. The Archive manager is pretty self explanatory, here you can simply select which properties to recover in your database.

Q : Is there a way I can clear my database but keep a backup of all of the property records I have completed encase I need to return to them at a later date?

Yes there is. We recommend that you archive properties in your database. You may be used to backing up your database to ensure data protection but there is also another method that removes your property data from your database and moves it to a more secure location. Archiving Property Records In PS Energy, select the records that you want to archive in the top window pane of the database (to select more than one property hold the CNTL key down on your keyboard whilst clicking properties, or to select every record hold CTRL and press 'a' on your keyboard). Now go to the Data menu. Click Data | Database Operations | Archive. You will be informed that you will be archiving however many property records selected. Click Yes and they will disappear! If you ever wish to restore these property records to your database, simply click Data | Database Operations | Unarchive. The Archive manager is pretty self explanatory, here you can simply select which properties to recover in your database. For more information on Data Archiving please view the following video. Click here.

Q : I have entered my data but nothing has appeared in the PS Data Manager, why not and what now?

Make sure that when you finish entering data using either the simulator or your handheld PDA you do the following: Click the Quit button on the Simulator / PDA before returning to the PS Energy Data Manager. Back in the PS Energy Data Manager click Update Database and select whether to update From Simulator or From Handheld. If From Handheld, make sure that the PDA is connected to your computer first.

Q : I was under the impression that I had lodged x amount of EPCs through PS Energy however when I use the ‘Lodged’ view in the PS Energy Data Manager it says I have lodged much less than expected.

As the PS Energy desktop software is offline it should not be used as a means of seeing how many EPCs you have lodged. The best place to do this is using our Lodgement Portal. See below: For Scottish DEAs Scottish DEAs will not receive a confirmation e-mail confirming their lodgement. When you click the Lodge EPC button on our lodgement portal, a successful lodgement will be followed by the message ‘EPC has been successfully lodged…”. You can see the EPCs that you have lodged so far using our Lodgement Portal. Hover over the History tab and select Lodged EPCs. For all other DEAs For every EPC lodged you should receive a confirmation e-mail from Landmark letting you know of its successful lodgement. You can always check this on our website using the History menu. Select EPCs lodged. Alternatively if you have the specific RRN number you can check this with Landmark Click here to search Landmark's HCR Register.

Q : Help! The software has been erased / lost from my computer… Have I lost all of the properties completed so far?

Not exactly! First of all we strongly recommend you backup your database as frequently as possible using the BACKUP button on the PS Energy toolbar (please click here to watch a video on backing up data. Alternatively if you have ever sent your data to our technical support team (via the Help menu) we will have automatically logged a backup of your data on that particular day. We can always restore your last ‘send to support’ backup for you. Note that you may not have lost your database entirely. If for example you have shifted around any files and/or folders on your computer, the file paths to PS Energy may have become lost and unknown. Use the following link to inform your computer where PS Energy has been moved to: http://files.pocket-survey.net/epc/ps-energy-repair.exe If PS Energy has been completely erased from your machine and you have no backup files saved, there is still a chance we can rebuild your data for you. If there are any records in particular that you would like us to restore for you please provide us with these property ID numbers and we will look in our archives for you. Please note that this is a time consuming task for us and may take up to 48 hours for us to get back to you. Therefore we strongly suggest you ask us to only restore properties that you require back in your database rather than the entirety of a colossal database.

Q : I've noticed some minor data input errors after I have entered my data but have not yet lodged the EPC. Can I make the changes without re-entering the data all over again?

Absolutely. There are two ways to go about this both demonstrated in the following video and below... Editing Your Data Video Smart Editing Find the field you want to change in the database and double click the part you want to edit. Simple! Editing one field may affect the answer given in another field but do not worry, the Smart Editor will prompt any additional changes required for you. Re-surveying a Property Sometimes you may want to add data that currently does not exist in a stored property record. For example you may have entered that there is no secondary heating within a property and want to edit the data to show that there is after all. Because the question and subsequent questions regarding the secondary heating does not exist in your database you are required to re-survey the property. 1) To resurvey a property, left click to highlight the property in the top half of the PS Energy database. 2) Select Enter Data | Resurvey Selected Properties. 3) When back in the Simulator please select the same address details as before. You will know you have gotten this correct if you are warned that this property already exists (as it does!). Confirm the overwrite. 4) You are now required to click through the survey again. All of your previous surveyed answers will have been remembered so essentially you can blindly click through at a fast rate and stop for the answers you want to change. 5) Quit the survey when done and Update the database as normal.

Q : I've made quite a lot errors and want to re-enter the property into PS Energy, how should I go about this?

You can delete a property from your database with ease. Simply right click the property line in the top half of your database and select ‘Kill’ from the right click menu. This will permanently delete the property from your database.

Q : After lodging the EPC I noticed a few things I inputted wrong that I need to amend before I can re-submit a new one. What should I do!?

First of all you need to let us know to cancel the EPC you lodged with Landmark. Let our support team know of this and we will do it for you. Next make the changes to the property data. If you can spot the question that you wish to amend in the PS Energy Data Manager Database then simply double click the field you wish to change and make the change. Otherwise you will need to resurvey the property. Both are demonstrated in the video below: Editing Your Data Video Re-surveying a Property Sometimes you may want to add data that currently does not exist in a stored property record. For example you may have entered that there is no secondary heating within a property and want to edit the data to show that there is after all. Because the question and subsequent questions regarding the secondary heating does not exist in your database you are required to re-survey the property. 1) To resurvey a property, left click to highlight the property in the top half of the PS Energy database. 2) Select Enter Data | Resurvey Selected Properties. 3) When back in the Simulator please select the same address details as before. You will know you have gotten this correct if you are warned that this property already exists (as it does!). Confirm the overwrite. 4) You are now required to click through the survey again. All of your previous surveyed answers will have been remembered so essentially you can blindly click through at a fast rate and stop for the answers you want to change. 5) Quit the survey when done and Update the database as normal. When you lodge an EPC it is traceable by its unique RRN number (Report Reference Number) used to track the certificate on Landmark's registry. Therefore when you try and re-lodge an EPC, that RRN will be detected as already lodged and therefore not eligible for lodgement. An RRN number is automatically assigned to an EPC when an EPC is generated. What determines the number is the time and date the data was inputted into PS Energy. In order to re-lodge an EPC, the RRN number must be unique. This can be done by amending the time / date of the EPC. Follow the instructions below: Go into the PS Energy software, locate the property record in the top windowpane of the split database (to the right of the left hand button panel) and locate the Survey Time column. Double click the survey time that has been stored for that property which will look something like this: 15:11:50. You need to change this time by say one hour. So if the time was say, 15:11:50, change it to read 16:11:50. Click OK to confirm this. Now you need to apply these changes to the EPC. Click the Energy Certificate button and confirm that you want to 'Redo' the EPC. This EPC will now have been assigned a new RRN number and you can go ahead and lodge this using the Portal.

Q : Is there a way I can create a spreadsheet report from PS Energy that displays certain pieces of information i.e. Property addresses, SAP ratings etc?

There are many ways of doing this. The method described below will require you to first create a PS Energy database view that only shows the fields you want to show. Once you have done this you can choose how you want to export / print that data. 1) In PS Energy left click on any of the actual column headings in the Top Window pane of the database i.e. the first heading that reads 'Property ID'. 2) Select 'Column Selector' from the menu. 3) In the Column Selector window you need to make sure that the only boxes ticked are the ones that you want to show in your report. So an example of a basic SAP report would be to tick the following... * Survey Date * Address 1 * Address 2 * Address 3 * Postcode * SAP Rating * SAP Band * EI Rating * EI Band * RRN 4) Click OK. You will now notice that the database is only showing the fields that you have selected. You have created a custom view. 5) You can now print this view, exporting the data into a number of different formats. I recommend the following... 6) Select the Export menu 7) Select 'Export Top View' 8) This will export the data that you require as a CSV file into the PS Data Doctor. You can save this file and open it up in Microsoft Excel should you require a spreadsheet of the information. Back in PS Energy you need to return your view back to normal. To do this select the Viewbar (above the Top Window pane - the long white strip bar that will more than likely now read 'Custom View'. From the dropdown menu select 'None'. You should now find all fields are on display again.

Q : I cannot find my data in the software but I entered it on the simulator / handheld, is there anyway of getting it back?

First of all make sure that you have clicked the QUIT button on the simulator / handheld and tried to update your database in the PS Energy Data Manager. Also try and click the MERGE button on the PS Energy Data Manager Toolbar. If the above fails please inform our support team via a support request letting us know of the specific Property ID (UPRN) missing. To send a support request open PS Energy, select the Help menu, Send to Support. Click to send and backup your database. On the subsequent web form inform us of the specific property ID / UPRN missing in the Comments field.

Q : Is there a PS Energy Field Sheet compliant with the latest version of the RdSAP?

Yes there is. You can download the PS Energy Field Sheet from the main software. Open PS Energy from the desktop icon. Select the PS Energy button towards the top left hand corner of the software within the Action Bar panel. Select ‘PS Energy Field Sheet’ from the button list. You can print this field sheet and take it on site with you. We can also send you the field sheet as landscape on request or alternatively we can send you the source file as a Microsoft Word document encase you want to make your own changes / customise it to fit your needs.

Q : What does the Open DB button do?

PS Energy is a design of Handheld Systems ltd. We offer a number of different software solutions that utilise a similar and familiar interface. The Open DB button allows our clients to load a different survey into the database but since DEAs are only concerned with Energy Assessment software you can ignore this button.

Q : What is the Report button for?

The Report button allows you to create an Adhoc Report of the selected property in your database at the click of a button. The Adhoc Report is simply a professional means of displaying your property data in a web page, available for print. You can also customise your own reports using the Report Builder tool. However this can become a complicated process if you do not know what you are doing. If you have a report that you need building please be in touch and we will offer the solution.

Q : What is the Navigator button for?

The Navigator is an alternate means of navigating through your database. If you are used to database systems that operate a drilldown approach to locating property records then we recommend you try the Navigator tool.

Q : I cannot currently download the Visit List and have to type in the property address details but when uploading I am informed the address is wrong. What am I doing wrong?

First of all, you need to decipher exactly why the Visit List feature is not working for you. There may be a firewall or virus protection software blocking the visit download on your computer. Try temporarily disabling any firewalls or virus protection software when downloading the visit list through PS Energy. It is important to make the property address match EXACTLY what is returned from the detailed address search provided via our EPC Lodgement Portal. EXACTLY means all the right number of commas, the correct letter case and use of spaces between postcodes. The postal town should normally be in UPPERCASE. The postcode should be in UPPERCASE and has a space between the two parts of the postcode. No commas or spaces at the end of lines! No spaces at the beginning of lines!

Q : I have been informed by the Technical Support Team to ‘Send my data to support’. What does this mean and how do I go about it?

Sometimes our technical support team need to take a look at your database in order to diagnose and fix a problem you may be experiencing. You can do this as outlined below: Open PS Energy and select the Help menu. Select Send to Support. Confirm that you want to send your files to the Technical Support Team. Confirm that you want to Backup your database before sending files. Please wait a moment whilst the support files are being sent... You will eventually be prompted by a web page asking you to give details of your support request. Please let us know of the full property address of the property in your database that requires attention (as we will receive your entire database). Click the Inform the Technical Support Team button and wait for the Support Acknowledgement web page to appear. We will receive your support request shortly and will be in touch.

Q : I have been informed by the Technical Support Team to ‘Receive my data from support’. What does this mean and how do I go about it?

We may request for you to send your database to support so that we can, depending on the nature of the problem, take a look at what is going on first hand. When we have fixed the problem or resolved the issue we will require you to receive this database back from us. Before you can do this you must make sure you have added no additional properties to your database since you sent your data to support else they will be overwritten. Please inform our support team if this is the case and we will advise you on what to do next. To receive your data from support please follow the instructions below… 1) Open PS Energy. 2) Select the Help menu. 3) Select Receive from Support. 4) Tick ALL of the boxes that pop up and click OK. 5) Click OK to the Restoration Complete message. 6) Now select the Data menu. 7) Select Database Operations 8) Select Restore 9) Confirm any messages that pop up. Reproduce any EPC you need to lodge using the Energy Certificate button | Create Energy Certificate. If you are prompted to redo the certificate you can confirm that message.

Q : I have managed to update my database, select to generate the EPC and select the improvements for my EPC OK but then nothing happens, no EPC pops up like in the tutorial video.

It is very likely that you have not installed the latest version of JAVA. Download this below: Download Java If the problem persists then you may have an ‘&’ somewhere in your data, usually in an address field. This character causes JAVA to malfunction and as that is key to EPC production, the Certificate will not launch. Check any address or comment fields for the ‘&’ character and replace it with an '&' followed by 'amp;' after the ampersand with no spaces inbetween the characters (remember to exclude any speechmarks!).

Q : When i try and generate an EPC, after the Tick Wanted Improvements screen i get an error message reading 'corrupt file'. I therefore cannot see the EPC. What do i do?

Please follow the link below and re-install the software over your current installation... http://files.pocket-survey.net/epc/ps-energy.exe Run the program and enter the password of voltage when prompted by the installation program.

Error Messages

Q : When producing an EPC I am bombarded by error message after error message! Help!!

Do not panic! It is very likely that there is only one minor fault with your data. When one thing fails it can cause an error chain of events that can be misleading. Unknown Fuel Category This usually means that you have selected conflicting heating types that do not make sense to the RdSAP calculation. For example you may have selected the primary heating as electric (direct acting) room heaters, no secondary heating where the Water Heating comes from a gas back boiler (hot water only). Please try to use your better judgement as a qualified DEA or ring your accreditation / training scheme for assistance if in doubt. Negative Wall Area You will receive this error message if the RdSAP calculation deems your Heat Loss Perimeter to be incompatible with the inputted Total Area of the property. Check that the value entered for the Heat Loss Perimeter on each floor is accurate and realistic. Check that the decimal point is a full stop not a comma. Make sure you have included any sheltered walls as part of the Heat Loss Perimeter. If you are positive that everything inputted is correct the problem may be the Glazing Area selected. If you select this as ‘Typical’, the software assumes a particular area for the windows that is deducted from the total storey area of the property. If you wish for the window area to be completely accurate then you should select the Glazing Area as either Much Less or Much More than Typical so that you can enter the specific dimensions of each window in the property. WARNING: There seems to be a problem with your data. The value "" is not recognized. This usually means that there is a field missing from your data. Either you have left a question unanswered when entering data or you have over used the ‘Back’ button and undone answers already surveyed. Please re-survey the property (Enter Data | Resurvey Selected Properties) or if still unsure send your data to support via the Help menu in PS Energy (Help | Send to Support). If your error message is not one of the above simply take note of the error message and let us know of this via a technical support request. Use the Help menu in PS Energy and select Send to Support. Confirm that you want to send your files over to our Technical Support Team and that you want to backup your database before sending. Fill out the subsequent web form to include your details, the property address in question and a description of the error message if possible.

Q : When producing the EPC i get an error saying negative SAP wall area, check my heat loss perimeter. I have checked and it is correct so why?!

You will receive this error message if the RdSAP calculation deems your Heat Loss Perimeter to be incompatible with the inputted Total Area of the property. Check that the value entered for the Heat Loss Perimeter on each floor is accurate and realistic. Check that the decimal point is a full stop not a comma. Make sure you have included any sheltered walls as part of the Heat Loss Perimeter. If you are positive everything entered is correct the problem may be the Glazing Area selected. If you select this as ‘Typical’, the software assumes a particular area for the windows that is deducted from the total storey area of the property. If you wish for the window area to be completely accurate then you should select the Glazing Area as either Much Less or Much More than Typical so that you can enter the specific dimensions of each window in the property.

Q : I update my database and I receive an error message, lots of jargon? Why?!

This is usually caused by a failure to click the Quit button before selecting to update your database. If so you need to find the Simulator still open on your PC and click the Quit button then update your database. Alternatively it is possible you have selected to update the wrong module. For example you may have completed a survey on the simulator and click to ‘Update Database | From Handheld’.

Q : I am getting an error message saying my database has been marked as invalid. What has happened?!

It is likely that you have closed down the PS Energy software whilst in the middle of a process. The ‘marked as invalid’ message will however prompt for your database to be rebuilt as before so just follow the onscreen instructions.

Q : My RRN has come up as a bunch of 000’s and will not lodge. What is going on?

There is a problem with the data within your EPC. Either something is missing, an invalid character is corrupting the data or something in the data does not make sense. It is too broad for us to diagnose without us taking a look for ourselves. Please send your data to support using the Help menu in PS Energy (Help | Send to Support). Confirm the backup of your database and complete the web form that pops up to include the property address in question – otherwise we will not be able to help you. We will be in touch within 24 hours.

Q : I am trying to update my software via the Help menu but I am receiving an error message.

Please check for any firewalls / virus protection software active on your computer that may be interfering with communications to / from our FTP server. Try and temporary disable any firewalls / virus checkers and try the software update again. Alternatively you can always navigate to the EPC Lodgement Portal, login with your user name and password, hover over the ‘Downloads’ menu and select ‘Download Software’. You can run this file and it will automatically update your software to the latest version.

Q : When trying to retrieve my Surveyor Details / Visit List using the Setup button I am receiving an error message – “1040 no free variables allowed…”. What does this mean?

Q : When trying to retrieve my Surveyor Details / Visit List using the Setup button I am receiving an error message – “data api call…”. What does this mean?

Q : When trying to retrieve my Surveyor Details / Visit List using the Setup button I am receiving an error message – “missing PS Energy#Property.CSV.CONTROL…”. What does this mean?

This may have been caused by ending the software or your session of Windows prematurely. It is however easily fixable by re-installing the full software.

Q : When I try to send my data to the technical support team via the Help menu in PS Energy I get an error message. What does this mean?

This usually means one of two things… There is a firewall or anti virus software on your computer blocking access to our FTP server. Try temporarily disabling this and try again. If this works then you should make PS Energy an exception in your firewall / anti virus software. Your IT department are not allowing access to pocketsurvey.org. You need to inform your IT department of this and if needs be give them the address of FTP server so they can allow files to be sent / received from our software:

Q : When I try to send my data to the technical support team I am asked to confirm this, then backup my database and then nothing? How do I provide details of my problem?

This usually means that your IT department are not allowing access to pocketsurvey.org. You need to inform your IT department of this and if needs be give them the address of our FTP server (pocketsurvey.org) so they can allow files to be sent / received from our software.

Q : When i try and generate an EPC, after the Tick Wanted Improvements screen i get an error message reading 'corrupt file'. I therefore cannot see the EPC. What do i do?

Please follow the link below and re-install the software over your current installation... http://files.pocket-survey.net/epc/ps-energy.exe Run the program and enter the password of voltage when prompted by the installation program.

Using the Simulator / PDA

Q : What is this Detailed Site Notes Options question?

The Detailed Site Notes Options section asks whether you want to be prompted to take photographs whilst surveying a property and whether you require help justifying your question answers. The Take Photos question is designed for PDA users only. If you are running the software on a handheld PDA it means you are performing the Energy Assessment on-site. Therefore you will automatically be prompted to take photos with your PDA camera (or attached digital camera) whilst you complete your assessment. What you take photo’s of is all pre-configured for you however you can always edit this configuration should you choose to. Please get in touch with our Support Team if you want to know more about this. The Log Justifications question is an internal feature of PS Energy that acts as a personal assistant whilst entering data. For example, you may enter a property date of 1899, with Log Justifications turned on you will then be asked to select why you believe this from a pre-configured list of answers arranged for you. This is not a requirement of the RdSAP, more of a helping hand for DEAs and a means of justifying an energy assessment to an accreditation scheme or client.

Q : I want to enter Programmer + TRV’s as the heating control but I do not have the option for this, Why is this?

This is how the RdSAP specification has been written. If there is a Thermostatic Radiator Valve in a property the specification deems that there must be a Bypass available. Please select Programmer + TRV’s + Bypass.

Q : I cannot find my boiler in the Boiler Database? Why is it not there?

The Boiler database is not of our own making, it is the official SEDBUK listing of boilers in the UK. If the boiler is not present in our boiler database then you will have to enter it using the Heating Tables, where you are required to best describe the boiler as according to its design functionality rather than its branding. Sometimes a boiler branding can be confusing. For example with Baxi boilers you can search through Baxi, Baxi Heating and Baxi Potterton. Make sure you exhaust all possibilities before drawing the conclusion that the boiler does not exist. You can also take a look at the master table of boilers in a spreadsheet. To access this please first select the Collection button on the PS Energy Data Manager toolbar. This will open the PS Survey Manager. In the Survey Manager select the Tools menu | Quick Editor | SAP Boilers. This will launch the master table of all SAP boilers using the PS Data Doctor (a simplified Microsoft Excel). If you left click a column heading in the PS Data Doctor you will find a number of data sorting and find tools you will find useful.

Q : I have entered my data but nothing has appeared in the PS Data Manager, why not and what now?

Make sure that when you finish entering data using either the simulator or your handheld PDA you do the following: Click the Quit button on the Simulator / PDA before returning to the PS Energy Data Manager. Back in the PS Energy Data Manager click Update Database and select whether to update From Simulator or From Handheld. If From Handheld, make sure that the PDA is connected to your computer first.

Q : I have been trained to select a date band when assessing the age of a property but this software asks for a specific date. What do I enter?

Simple, enter ANY date in the band you are expecting! The software will put you date in the correct band automatically.

Q : I cannot find my data in the software but I entered it on the simulator / handheld, is there anyway of getting it back?

First of all make sure that you have clicked the QUIT button on the simulator / handheld and tried to update your database in the PS Energy Data Manager. Also try and click the MERGE button on the PS Energy Data Manager Toolbar. If the above fails please inform our support team via a support request letting us know of the specific Property ID (UPRN) missing. To send a support request open PS Energy, select the Help menu, Send to Support. Click to send and backup your database. On the subsequent web form inform us of the specific property ID / UPRN missing in the Comments field.

Q : What do I write in the Related Party Disclosure section?

You are only required to declare something if you are of relation to the owner/s or tenant/s of the property or you have some sort of investment or personal link to the property.

Q : I’m trying to enter into the software that a property has a partial insulated loft area. Less than 50%. Is this possible or is it treated as no insulation?

This is something that is decided internally within the RdSAP calculation. You need to make a judgement as a qualified DEA on the amount of insulation in the loft space. Inevitably, selecting an insulation thickness that suggests the loft is only partially insulated is likely to result in page 3 of the EPC informing us that the loft space is only partially insulated.

Q : Why can I not enter a flat as having more than one storey?

For the purposes of the Energy calculation, a flat with more than one storey is considered a Maisonette. Forget any definition of a maisonette you have been told before! If you choose the 'Property Type' of Maisonette you will be asked to enter two sets of floor dimensions, if you specify a flat you will be prompted to enter one set.

Q : I am confused when entering the floor position of a flat. Apparently the floor position of 3 in a 4-storey block is the top floor?

Enter the number of storeys as normal. When entering the floor position of the flat / maisonette start counting at zero, so the ground floor is 0. For example in a 4-storey block of flats the top floor would be position 3. However, in a 4-storey block of Maisonettes the top floor would be position 2. Remember a maisonette is on two floors so it would occupy floors 2 and 3, but the position would be 2.

Q : If I do not understand how to answer a question when entering data what can I do?

During your energy assessment click the '?' on the small toolbar to bring up detailed help on each question. Alternatively please get in touch with your accreditation scheme who will advise you on DEA related matters.

Q : Is there any way of getting help whilst I’m onsite with my PDA?

During your energy assessment click the '?' on the small toolbar to bring up detailed help on each question.

Q : Why can't I see the new properties I have added to my visit list on the Simulator / PDA?

First of all if you are using a PDA it is best to first make sure everything is working on the desktop simulator. This way we can discover whether the problem is with the software or with your PDA hardware. Check that you have downloaded the latest visit list from our server. Select the SETUP button in PS Energy and click 'Get Visit List'. You will be prompted to download the latest. Click Yes. View the Visit List on screen and check that your newly added properties are included in this list. Click the Save button in the PS Data Doctor before closing down the visit list. If the new properties do not exist then something is blocking the download. Check your firewalls to see if they are blocking communications between our server (ftp.pocketsurvey.org) and your computer. Now click the Enter Data button in PS Energy and select 'Use Simulator'. The first question on the simulator should begin 'Visit List?...'. Select yes and continue. You should be able to select the newly added properties now. If not then quit the survey and check the following...<[p> In PS Energy, click the COLLECTION button on the toolbar. This will open up the PS Survey Manager. Here, select the Handheld menu at the top of the software module. Select 'Individual Sends' | 'Send Lookups'. This should send all local associated CSV files (including the visit list) to the simulator. Now try entering data on the simulator again. If the visit list still does not appear on the simulator and you have viewed the new properties in the Data Doctor upon downloading them from the server please check the following... Make sure that the system date on your PC is correct. If your computer's current time and date is in the past then newly added properties after that date will be ignored. Please check this. If using a PDA then please also check the time and date on the PDA is correct and matches that of the computer it is connecting to.

Q : I have finished entering data on the simulator / handheld but when I try to update my database I am getting a ‘failed to import’ message.

When you have finished a survey ALWAYS make sure to click the ‘Quit’ button before moving back to the Data Manager.

Q : I am surveying a block of flats where a number of the flats are almost identical. Is there a way of copying the same EPC a number of times but making slight alterations to each?

There are 2 ways of going about this… For those that use a visit list You can duplicate an existing property in your PS Energy database using our Cloning tool. Cloning a property means duplicating an existing property only with different address details. For the PS Energy Cloning tool to work you must have a populated visit list in place. This is because you will be required to specify the new address you wish to clone the selected property to. 1) Select a property in the top windowpane of the PS Energy database (yellow tinged area). 2) Select the Process menu from the PS Energy menubar. 3) Select ‘Clone Property’. 4) Confirm you want to clone the written property. Click OK. 5) Now you are required to select a property to clone to. This list will have been derived from your visit list. Select a property and click OK. 6) Click Continue 7) If successful you will receive the Cloning Successful message. Click OK The cloned property will have now appeared in your database. You can make any changes to the surveyed data in this property by double clicking the fields you want to edit in the database (bottom window pane). For those that do no use a visit list Once you have entered the data for one flat and received its data into the PS Energy database you will be ready to duplicate its contents and not have to re-enter any data for an almost identical flat. 1) Right click the property record that you wish to duplicate (in the top half of the PS Energy database - tinged yellow) 2) Select 'Duplicate' from the right click menu. 3) You will be asked how many. Decide on how many duplicates you want of this particular property. For the purpose of this example we shall say '1'. Click OK 4) Notice that a duplicate of that property has now appeared in the database with exactly the same details. The only difference is the Property ID. The duplicate will contain a "_1" at the end of its ID. The number refers to which duplicate number it is. * You now need to do 3 things. First of all, edit the address and property ID details so that this duplicate is of a unique and different property. Secondly you may need to make any minor adjustments to the actual property data incase this new property is not identical to the one it was duplicated from. Last of all you need to re-produce the EPC for this property. Read below... * 5) Login to the EPC Lodgement Portal website. Select the Address Search feature and search for the address that you want to attach to this duplicate property. When you find the address click the corresponding 'Show Details' button. 6) You will now see all the address details that you need to edit this duplicate, make a note of these EXACTLY. 7) Back in PS Energy, locate the duplicate in the database and double click the Property ID (should end in "_1"). Change this to be the same property ID you have just taken a note of using the Address Search (should be 10 digits long). Click OK. 8) Do the same here for all the Address fields, making sure the address on the website matches the address in the PS Energy database. 9) Now you need to make any other changes to the data necessary. Look through the bottom windowpane of the database at the different questions. Double click any question answers in the 'Description' column if you need to make a change. Once double clicked, what to do will be quite straightforward. 10) Now go to the Energy Certificate button. Select 'Create Energy Certificate' from the button list. Once the EPC pops up close it down, it will automatically save. Presto! It is as if you have painstakingly inputted all these details yourself!

Q : Why am I asked what the built form of a flat/maisonette is?

Most DEAs are under the impression that 'Detachment' (semi, terraced, detached etc) does not need to be recorded for flats and maisonettes. It infact does need to be entered for flats and maisonettes when the measurements taken are external. Ref: SAP2005, Section S13

Q : If I select that there is no Primary Heating System present in a property, will the software automatically assume electric heaters are in place as outlined in our DEA training notes?

Yes this is correct. If you select ‘None’ as the Primary Heating, you will notice on page 3 of the resulting EPC that it will read: No system present: electric heaters assumed

Q : The flat I am surveying is technically a Room in the Roof, how do I enter this in PS Energy?

As according to the RdSAP Specification, you are required to select a Built Form as a House, Bungalow, Flat or Maisonette. If the property is a Room in Roof, you should select this as a flat and enter no room in roof when prompted later on in the survey. The Room in Roof should be considered as a Flat.

Q : How do I specify a basement in a property? I used to be able to do that in the software until recently?

The option to specify a separate basement was a selectable option before the implementation of the RdSAP 9.82 update that came into effect from October 2008. However this question has now been removed where the basement should be inputted as the lowest storey in a property. Say a property has two storeys plus a basement level. This should be entered as a three-storey property in PS Energy.

Q : When I select ‘Enter Data | Use Handheld’, I receive a connection time out message even though my Handheld is connected. What is going wrong?

First of all make sure you have purchased a PDA license with us before using this ‘Use Handheld’ option. You can only use a PDA with the software if you have paid the £250 +VAT one off fee and installed your new PDA license. Please get in touch with us if you are interested in this. If you have already purchased a PDA license, make sure you have re-installed your software license before connecting the PDA to your computer. We should have e-mailed you instructions to do this before continuing. If the above fails, please get in touch with our Technical Support Team and be ready to give your Accreditation Number as well as the name and model of the PDA that you are using.

Q : When I select to enter data using the Handheld device I have purchased the software does not recognise that I have multiple handheld licenses when I am certain I have purchased and used these before. What should I do?

Open PS Energy and select the COLLECTION button on the toolbar. This will open the PS Survey Manager. In the Survey Manager, select the Help menu. Select About. On the About screen, click the picture icon. A message will pop up informing you that you are about to remove all handheld licence references from your PC…”. Click OK to confirm this. Now close down the Survey manager, return to the Data Manager, connect your PDA to your computer and select ‘Enter Data | Use Handheld’. This will re-install your PDA license.

Energy Certificate

Q : Why is my potential EI rating less than my actual EI rating?

In order for a greater potential SAP rating to exist, the RdSAP specification will allow for the EI rating to drop to a certain point. If the specification deems a potential SAP rating to be a considerable amount more than the current, a slight drop in an EI rating, this is permitted. This is most commonly to do with a recommended change in the Heating Fuel Category.

Q : On Page 1 of the EPC, why is the potential estimated energy usage cost of heating greater than the current?!

This happens a lot. When lighting is improved to low energy its contribution to space heating decreases. So the space-heating costs go up but are more than offset by the saving in lighting costs. In other words, regular light bulbs give off heat and (in terms of per year) contribute somewhat to the overall heating in a property. Low Energy Lighting will not give off heat like this therefore the cost of heating can be estimated to ever so slightly increase per year.

Q : Why isn't my EPC showing photographs I have taken?

An EPC is not meant to show photographs. Photographs are to be included in your site notes on request from your accreditation scheme. You can slip photographs, sketches and floor plans into these site notes using the Site Notes button. Please see our Site Notes video for a full visual explanation of how to do this or read below for more information. Site Notes Report Video If you do wish to add photographs to these Site Notes please first make sure that the photographs are digitally stored somewhere on your computer. You need to move these photographs to a specific folder on your computer. With the property still highlight in the PS Data Manager click the Site Notes button again. Click Open Site Notes folder. Move all of the photographs for that particular property into the opened folder. Now you need to link each photograph in that folder to a particular element in that property. Focus on the bottom windowpane. Say that you want to slot a photograph of the hot water cylinder in. Locate the question ‘Hot Water Cylinder’ in the bottom window pane and click it once to highlight it blue. Now select the Site Notes button again Click Insert Photo Reference A list will pop up with all of your photographs in. Tick the box of the photograph of the hot water cylinder and click OK. Now Select Site Notes | Create Site Notes Report Select to Redo the Site Notes when prompted. Notice that if you scroll down to the hot water cylinder section of the report you will see the photograph in place. Repeat this process till all photographs are in place.

Q : The summary table on page 3 of the EPC uses the word 'assumed' a lot i.e. Solid brick, as built, insulated (assumed). How can I tell what these assumptions are? Surely this will result in an inaccurate RdSAP scoring?

Assumptions are a big part of the RdSAP 9.82 specification. It is important to remember that this is Reduced SAP software therefore not every property detail can be included in an energy assessment. For example you may be unsure of or not have access to the wall insulation of a property. The RdSAP specification allows you to select ‘Unknown’ or ‘As Built’ meaning that the insulation must be assumed by the software, which takes into account various other property details (mainly the property build year and main construction type).

Q : The Potential SAP and EI ratings on my EPC are the exact same as the actual ratings. Why is there no improvement to the scores despite the wanted improvements I have selected?

The RdSAP specification is a complicated algorithm that rules whether to suggest a recommendation or not based upon the cost of implementation, improvement to the scoring amongst other things. It is also important to note that ‘Further Measure’ recommendations are not considered in the potential SAP and EI ratings.

Q : My surveyor details are blank on page 2 of the EPC?

Your surveyor details should automatically appear on every EPC you produce - once you have successfully installed your license. You can check if your license is valid by looking at the very bottom of your PS Energy software. It should read, ‘Licensed to: ‘. Your accreditation / registration number’. After you have installed PS Energy you should always check your surveyor details by using the Setup button... Click Setup | Get Surveyor Details. When prompted to download the latest version from the Internet click ‘Yes’. They should pop up on screen infront of you. Close this down. Now every EPC you produce will contain these details on pg.2. If your Surveyor details still do not appear you should check the ‘Surveyor’ column in the PS Energy Database. The Database is located to the right of the ‘Setup’ button, the area coloured a pale yellow. This column should list your name (i.e. John Smith) for each property entered. If not you need to enter you name in here in order for the details to match and print correctly on the EPC.

Q : Can I only print the ratings part of the EPC? I don't want my client to second-guess my energy assessment!

Once logged into the EPC Lodgement Portal hover over the History menu and select EPCs Lodged. The EPCs Lodged page will display all the EPCs you have produced and lodged through PS Energy thus far. Select an EPC that you want to view and you will notice that only the graph portion (page 1) of the EPC is on display as a jpeg image. Right click the graph image and Save to your computer. You can now print this or send it directly to your client accordingly.

Q : I want to change my personal details that are printed on each EPC, how do I do this?

First of all login to the EPC Lodgement web site. Move your mouse over the 'Home' menu and click 'User Details'. Just change the fields that are wrong and these will be normally updated within 48 hours. In the PS Energy software, click the 'Setup' button and select 'Get Surveyor Details'. You will be prompted to download the latest file. Click *No*. This file will display on screen. Scroll across to locate the e-mail address or the file field you wish to change. Double click enter the data in the pop up box. Click OK. Click the 'Save' button and the 'Exit' to close the Data Doctor program. When you next generate an EPC, the new details will be on the EPC.

Q : There are multiple walls showing on my EPC, is this a mistake?

All main and extension walls are accounted for on an EPC. It is also worth noting that in certain cases, depending on U-Values and areas, an unheated corridor will be listed as a semi-exposed wall and will appear on the EPC. If you find an additional wall that you feel should not be on the EPC you should take a look in your PS Energy database and check for duplicate data. For example, look in the green shaded area (bottom half) of the database. Look in the ‘Item’ column for the row titled ‘Main Construction Type’. If there are two or more entries for this you have duplicate data. Right click any duplicate data and select ‘Kill’ from the right click menu to remove.

Q : My RRN has come up as a bunch of 000’s and will not lodge. What is going on?

There is a problem with the data within your EPC. Either something is missing, an invalid character is corrupting the data or something in the data does not make sense. It is too broad for us to diagnose without us taking a look for ourselves. Please send your data to support using the Help menu in PS Energy (Help | Send to Support). Confirm the backup of your database and complete the web form that pops up to include the property address in question – otherwise we will not be able to help you. We will be in touch within 24 hours.

Q : Why is page 3 of the EPC telling me that my excellent roof insulation is infact 'Poor'? This is strange as before I have been told the same description was 'Average'?

Q : Why are there gaps in the summary table on page 3 of the EPC?

A dash (not a gap) means the field is undefined, there are no criteria that BRE can decide upon and so the field is left as undefined. There is nothing to worry about this is very common with EPCs and to be expected frequently.

Q : The client is unhappy that the EPC was not produced the day of the inspection, is there a way of changing the date of inspection on the EPC?

In the top half of the PS Energy database (yellow shaded area) please locate the Survey Date or Survey Time column. Note that you may have to scroll the top windowpane to the right to locate these columns. Simply double click and edit the date / time here for any listed property and then reproduce the EPC. When the EPC pops up note the change in time and date of the inspection. It is important to remember that editing the date / time of a survey will also change the RRN number of the EPC. Therefore if you have already lodged the EPC and provided your client with the unique RRN number you should not tamper with the date / time.

Q : I have surveyed a flat that’s main wall is a Cavity wall. The flat also has a Solid Brick wall extension however only one wall is present on page 3 of my EPC. Should there not be multiple walls showing on my EPC?

If a second wall is (in terms of are) less than 10% of the area of the main wall then it will be omitted from the EPC.

Q : My ratings look too high / low, I need an explanation

As the RdSAP specification is a complicated series of algorithms this can take our Technical Support Team some time to go through. Please use your better knowledge as a qualified DEA and try to consider the following before requesting an explanation from our support team. Most notable factors affecting a rating: A modern property build year. The RdSAP calculation makes assumptions about a property based on many varying factors. However a lot of these assumptions are made from the main property build year as this is used to help determine many things including wall and floor insulations. A particularly high Heat Loss Perimeter. Some wall constructions provide better ratings than others. System Built and Solid Brick constructions provide particularly low ratings. Main Heating in a property. An efficient gas boiler or community heating system will help provide a high rating where electric heating will typically encourage a low rating. Please allow for up to a week for a response from such enquiries.

Q : Can I process multiple EPCs at once?

Yes this is possible. You need to first highlight more than one property in the top windowpane of the database in the PS Data Manager. To do this, hold down the Ctrl key on your keyboard whilst left clicking different properties with your mouse. Once all the properties are highlighted blue, select the Process menu. From the Process menu select ‘Multiple Energy Certificates’. All produced EPCs will reside in the EPC folder which you can find through selecting the ‘Energy Certificate’ button | Open EPC folder.

Q : I want to contest the recommendations made on the EPC....

Simple, when the Tick Wanted Improvements screen pops up after selecting to generate an EPC deselect the recommendations you do not agree with. The recommendations offered to you are configured as according to the official RdSAP 9.82 specification, however it is inevitably down to your judgement as a qualified DEA whether or not you agree with them or not. If you feel there is good reason not to select a recommendation, perhaps a characteristic of the property that you have not been able to get across when entering the data, do not worry about omitting a recommendation.

Q : I have a very low SAP rating so why aren’t their more recommendations being suggested? I can think of a few that would help!

The RdSAP specification will deem whether a recommendation is worthwhile or not dependant on its cost of implementation and effectiveness to the property.

Q : Why aren’t my recommendations making any improvement to my SAP rating?

This is likely to be because they are 'Further Measures'. Further Measure recommendations are not included in the potential RdSAP rating. Alternatively the recommendation may not be deemed substantial enough to increase the rating by 1, or the recommendation is designed to improve the EI rating not the SAP.

EPC Lodgement Portal

General / Login

Q : Why is the website telling me my address details are wrong on the EPC when they are correct!?

For an EPC to lodge with Landmark, its address details must match the address that is stored on the Landmark Address Database, the HCR Register. To ensure your address details are correct we strongly recommend that you use a visit list. Please watch our Using a Visit List video for detailed instructions on how to do this. Before entering address details you should verify them with Landmark using our online Address Search feature. Here you can find any property in the UK and Scotland and take note of the required method to enter the property address into PS Energy. Better still, the Visit List feature can do all the work for you… If you select the ‘Add to Visit List’ button next to any address you have searched for, that property’s address details will be added to a list. This Visit List can then be downloaded into the PS Energy software (Setup | Get Visit List) and be eligible for selection from a pre-configured menu when entering data, leaving no room for human error. There may be times when although you have entered the property address manually (without a visit list) it must be correct because it looks EXACTLY the same. Check the end of each address line, there may be an invisible space causing the error that is impossible to see. Sometimes an address problem may lie with Landmark. An address might not lodge because Landmark have stored the address details incorrectly. If you need to edit an address field in PS Energy, simply double click the part of the address you want to edit in the top window pane of the database, make the changes, click OK and re-do the EPC. If in doubt, please contact our technical support team.

Q : My password of 'voltage' is not working to login to the website?

That’s because the password ‘voltage’ is for the software installation. Login details for the website are different and will typically look as follows: Username: QUID200000 Password: password The username will be your registration / accreditation number, depending on the scheme / protocol organisation you are with. Please drop us an e-mail if you want your password resetting to anything in particular and we can make these changes for you.

Q : Why won't my login details work to login to the website?

First check that you have gotten the casing of the password correct. If you are still having difficulty please get in touch with our support team and we will reset the password for you.

Q : Can I only print the ratings part of the EPC? I don't want my client to second-guess my energy assessment!

Once logged into the EPC Lodgement Portal hover over the History menu and select EPCs Lodged. The EPCs Lodged page will display all the EPCs you have produced and lodged through PS Energy thus far. Select an EPC that you want to view and you will notice that only the graph portion (page 1) of the EPC is on display as a jpeg image. Right click the graph image and Save to your computer. You can now print this or send it directly to your client accordingly.

Q : I lodged an EPC but didn't get a confirmation e-mail, why not? Where can i check?

For all QUIDOS accredited UK DEAs (not including Ireland – see below)… You should receive a confirmation e-mail from Landmark soon after lodging the EPC. If not please check the EPC on your computer and make a note of the RRN number (the 20 digit number on pg.1 of the EPC) and enter this on the following page - Landmark HCR Registry - Search Report If the report does not exist on the HCR register it has not been lodged. Try lodging it again and make sure you finalise the lodgement by clicking the ‘Lodge EPC with Landmark’ button after uploading the UPLOAD file. You should wait to see a message received ‘EPC has been lodged with Landmark’. For all QUIDOS accredited Irish DEAs… You should receive a confirmation e-mail from Landmark soon after lodging the EPC. If not please check the EPC on your computer and make a note of the RRN number (the 20 digit number on pg.1 of the EPC) and enter this on the following page - Landmark HCR Register - Search NI Report. If the report does not exist on the HCR register it has not been lodged. Try lodging it again and make sure you finalise the lodgement by clicking the ‘Lodge EPC with Landmark’ button after uploading the UPLOAD file. You should wait to see a message received ‘EPC has been lodged with Landmark’. For all Scottish DEAs… You will not receive a confirmation e-mail for the EPCs you lodge. You can however check the EPCs you have lodged so far using the History tab on our website.

Q : When uploading an EPC, the certificate is there but there is nothing in the .UPLOAD folder, why?

An UPLOAD file is only produced upon closure of the generated EPC. Check that the EPC you produced is not still open on your PC. One you have closed this down, refresh the UPLOAD folder and you should find the file in place.

Q : I lodged an EPC but have received no confirmation e-mail telling me so? Has this been lodged or not?

This confirmation e-mail is out of our hands. It comes from Landmark, and if not received soon after the lodgement it is likely that they are having trouble with their e-mail notification system. The best thing to do is to check if the EPC has been lodged by visiting the following web site ready with the EPC’s RRN number: Landmark HCR Register - Search Report.

Q : Is there any way that you can check at your end if I have lodged a specific EPC report?

If you have the RRN number then you can check yourself with Landmark - click here to check with Landmark. Alternatively please provide us with the Property ID number and Address Details in an e-mail to our technical support team.

Q : I uploaded my EPC but i have not received any confirmation of this?

Uploading an EPC to our website does not mean that the EPC has been lodged. When an EPC is uploaded, some final checks are made to see if the address matches with that of the governing body. If the upload page shows all green ticks, you can go ahead and click the 'Lodge EPC' button. Only after you click this button and you see the 'EPC has been lodged with...' message has the EPC been officially lodged. If you notice red crosses next to any of the address fields then you cannot lodge the EPC at the current time. Try to take notice of each red cross as it indicates a mismatch. You may need to amend your address in the PS Data Manager and re-upload the EPC.

Error Messages

Q : When lodging an EPC I noticed the RRN has come up as a bunch of 000’s and will not lodge. What is going on?

There is a problem with the data within your EPC. Either something is missing, an invalid character is corrupting the data or something in the data does not make sense. It is too broad for us to diagnose without us taking a look for ourselves. Please send your data to support using the Help menu in PS Energy (Help | Send to Support). Confirm the backup of your database and complete the web form that pops up to include the property address in question – otherwise we will not be able to help you. We will be in touch within 24 hours.

Q : When I upload my EPC there are red crosses next to my surveyor details. It appears that all of my surveyor details appear to be blank. What shall i do?

Open PS Energy, select the SETUP button, click 'Get Surveyor Details'. Click to download the latest when prompted. If you are warned that you may not be a valid DEA you need to re-install your license key (Step 2 of the 'Accredited DEA' e-mail you had installed the software from). You can tell if you have installed your license key correctly by checking at the very bottom left of the PS Data Manager. There should be some text that reads 'Handheld Systems ltd....Licensed to....'. If it reads 'Licensed to PS Energy Evaluation Copy Only!', you need to re-install your license until it reads, 'Licensed to 'QUID200XXX' - whatever your accreditation number is. If you find that your surveyor details appear as they should you need to locate the 'Surveyor' column in the top window pane of the PS Data Manager (yellow tinged area). The name printed here needs to appear exactly how it does in the Surveyor Details file (Capital letters count!). Double click the name in the database and you may find it auto adjusts. If so, please re-produce and re-upload the EPC.

Q : When trying to lodge my EPC, it says there is an error with the lodgement even though I have received all green ticks. What should I do?

Two things... 1) Please click the Postpone Lodgement button that appears on the upload page so that we know there is a reason for the delay in lodgement. Give details here if you can. 2) Open PS Energy, select the Help menu, select Send to Support. Confirm that you want to send your files to the Technical Support Team. Confirm that you want to Backup your database before sending files. Please wait a moment whilst the support files are being sent... You will eventually be prompted by a webpage asking you to give details of your support request. Please let us know of the full property address of the property in your database that requires attention (as we will receive your entire database). Click the Inform the Technical Support Team button and wait for the Support Acknowledgement webpage to appear. We will receive your support request shortly and will be in touch.

Q : After uploading my EPC, i am told there is a problem with one of my address fields even though it looks exactly the same as the one i am meant to be matching with! What am i doing wrong!?

Go back into the PS Data Manager and double check this address in the database (yellow tinged area). Double click the address field and make sure there are no trailing spaces after or before the address line. You may perhaps have a double space after a comma instead of just the one. If you still cannot solve the problem please send your data to our technical support team as described below and we will take a look for you: Open PS Energy, select the Help menu, select Send to Support. Confirm that you want to send your files to the Technical Support Team. Confirm that you want to Backup your database before sending files. Please wait a moment whilst the support files are being sent... You will eventually be prompted by a webpage asking you to give details of your support request. Please let us know of the full property address of the property in your database that requires attention (as we will receive your entire database). Click the Inform the Technical Support Team button and wait for the Support Acknowledgement webpage to appear. We will receive your support request shortly and will be in touch.

EPC Address Search

Q : I cannot find the address I’m looking for on the address search.

You should report missing addresses using our website. When searching for an address on the Lodgement Portal take note of the link to the left hand side under the heading ‘Missing Address’. Click this and you will be prompted to fill out a form where you can detail your address query. This will email your request to Landmark / HEED. They will be in touch when added. Please contact them directly to follow up on missing addresses.

Q : The address for a property is wrong, it needs changing.

You should report erroneous addresses using our website. When searching for an address on the Lodgement Portal take note of the link to the left hand side under the heading ‘Missing Address’. Click this and you will be prompted to fill out a form where you can detail your address query. This will email your request to Landmark / HEED. They will be in touch when added. Please contact them directly to follow up on missing addresses.

Misc / General

Q : I am used to online systems such as QUEST and NHER, how do I lodge EPCs if PS Energy is offline?

PS Energy is both on and offline. The core desktop software allows you to input all of your property information and produce Energy Performance Certificates. PS Energy Online can be found at the following web address - https://epc.pocketsurvey.org/. Once you have logged into this secure website using your log-in details (provided to you via e-mail) you can lodge any of your created EPCs online.

Q : I am used to posting my field sheet, floor plans, photos and sketches to my accreditation scheme, can this be done electronically using PS Energy?

Yes it can. The Site Notes button in PS Energy allows you to automatically produce a fully comprehensive set of site notes, so there is no need to post your field sheet. You can slip photographs, sketches and floor plans into these site notes using the Site Notes button. Please see our Site Notes Report video for a full visual explanation of how to do this. Site Notes Once you have created an EPC for a property you can produce a fully comprehensive set of Site Notes of the property. This may be on request from your accreditation scheme or simply for your own personal auditing. Open PS Energy and highlight the property record you want to create site notes for in the top windowpane of your database. Select the Site Notes button in the Action Bar panel. Select Site Notes Report. This will create Site Notes for the selected property. Click Continue. Your Site Notes will pop up in front of you, typically in a web browser. Notice one thing missing from them. Photographs. Before you add photographs note that it is recommended you do not send photographs with site notes unless requested as the large file size of digital photos can clog up our server and therefore cause problems for all our users. When ready to send your Site Notes to your accreditation scheme select the Site Notes button and click Upload for Audit. Adding photo’s to Site Notes. If you do wish to add photographs to these Site Notes please first make sure that the photographs are digitally stored somewhere on your computer. You need to move these photographs to a specific folder on your computer. With the property still highlight in the PS Data Manager click the Site Notes button again. Click Open Site Notes folder. Move all of the photographs for that particular property into the opened folder. Now you need to link each photograph in that folder to a particular element in that property. Focus on the bottom windowpane. Say that you want to slot a photograph of the hot water cylinder in. Locate the question ‘Hot Water Cylinder’ in the bottom window pane and click it once to highlight it blue. Now select the Site Notes button again Click Insert Photo Reference A list will pop up with all of your photographs in. Tick the box of the photograph of the hot water cylinder and click OK. Now Select Site Notes | Create Site Notes Report Select to Redo the Site Notes when prompted. Notice that if you scroll down to the hot water cylinder section of the report you will see the photograph in place. Repeat this process till all photographs are in place.

Q : How do I know if I am using the latest version of the software?

Open the PS Energy Data Manager and select the Help menu. Select Update Software. The pop up wizard will ask you to click Next to check if you are running the latest software. If you are not you will be prompted to download the latest. If you receive an error message when selecting Update Software or nothing appears to happen you need to check that your Firewall / Virus Protection software is not restricting access to our FTP server. Try temporarily disabling your firewall / anti-virus software and selecting to update your software again. We recommend you check for updates at the beginning of each working week.

Q : I lodged an EPC but didn't get a confirmation e-mail, why not? Where can i check?

For all QUIDOS accredited UK DEAs (not including Ireland – see below)… You should receive a confirmation e-mail from Landmark soon after lodging the EPC. If not please check the EPC on your computer and make a note of the RRN number (the 20 digit number on pg.1 of the EPC) and enter this on the following page - Landmark HCR Register - Search Report If the report does not exist on the HCR register it has not been lodged. Try lodging it again and make sure you finalise the lodgement by clicking the ‘Lodge EPC with Landmark’ button after uploading the UPLOAD file. You should wait to see a message received ‘EPC has been lodged with Landmark’. For all QUIDOS accredited Irish DEAs… You should receive a confirmation e-mail from Landmark soon after lodging the EPC. If not please check the EPC on your computer and make a note of the RRN number (the 20 digit number on pg.1 of the EPC) and enter this on the following page - Landmark HCR Register - Search Report If the report does not exist on the HCR register it has not been lodged. Try lodging it again and make sure you finalise the lodgement by clicking the ‘Lodge EPC with Landmark’ button after uploading the UPLOAD file. You should wait to see a message received ‘EPC has been lodged with Landmark’. For all Scottish DEAs… You will not receive a confirmation e-mail for the EPCs you lodge. You can however check the EPCs you have lodged so far using the History tab on our website. Q : I was accredited over a week ago, why haven't I heard from PS Energy yet?

Once you are accredited with QUIDOS you must first appear on the HCR Register before we can proceed in setting you up with PS Energy. Please use the following web form to find out if you are eligible to lodge EPCs or not yet. Once we receive confirmation from your accreditation scheme that you are a fully qualified DEA they will pass your details onto us and we will send you installation details within 24 hours.

Q : The client wants a copy of the EPC, where is this saved on my computer?

Upon generation and closure, EPCs are automatically saved into a folder titled ‘EPC’ stored within the PS ENERGY folder. You can access this folder the following way… 1) Open PS Energy from the desktop icon. 2) Click the Energy Certificate button on the Action Bar to the left of the software. 3) Select ‘Open EPC Folder’. Here you will see a listing of all the EPCs you have produced with this copy of the software thus far.

Q : Is there a PS Energy Field Sheet compliant with the latest version of the RdSAP?

Yes there is. You can download the PS Energy Field Sheet from the main software. Open PS Energy from the desktop icon. Select the PS Energy button towards the top left hand corner of the software within the Action Bar panel. Select ‘PS Energy Field Sheet’ from the button list. You can print this field sheet and take it on site with you. We can also send you the field sheet as landscape on request or alternatively we can send you the source file as a Microsoft Word document encase you want to make your own changes / customise it to fit your needs.

Q : Why can't I see the new properties I have added to my visit list on the Simulator / PDA?

First of all if you are using a PDA it is best to first make sure everything is working on the desktop simulator. This way we can discover whether the problem is with the software or with your PDA hardware. Check that you have downloaded the latest visit list from our server. Select the SETUP button in PS Energy and click 'Get Visit List'. You will be prompted to download the latest. Click Yes. View the Visit List on screen and check that your newly added properties are included in this list. Click the Save button in the PS Data Doctor before closing down the visit list. If the new properties do not exist then something is blocking the download. Check your firewalls to see if they are blocking communications between our server (ftp.pocketsurvey.org) and your computer. Now click the Enter Data button in PS Energy and select 'Use Simulator'. The first question on the simulator should begin 'Visit List?...'. Select yes and continue. You should be able to select the newly added properties now. If not then quit the survey and check the following...<[p> In PS Energy, click the COLLECTION button on the toolbar. This will open up the PS Survey Manager. Here, select the Handheld menu at the top of the software module. Select 'Individual Sends' | 'Send Lookups'. This should send all local associated CSV files (including the visit list) to the simulator. Now try entering data on the simulator again. If the visit list still does not appear on the simulator and you have viewed the new properties in the Data Doctor upon downloading them from the server please check the following... Make sure that the system date on your PC is correct. If your computer's current time and date is in the past then newly added properties after that date will be ignored. Please check this. If using a PDA then please also check the time and date on the PDA is correct and matches that of the computer it is connecting to.

Q : Is there anyway I can get a faster response from my support request?

We make a point of responding to all support requests within 24 hours, 48 hours if extremely busy however ensuring that your support request from contains the following will prevent any delays: 1) Please let us know of the specific property address in your database that you are referring to. We are sent your entire database so if you simply write ‘cannot lodge EPC’ in the comments box we will have no clue which EPC you are referring to! 2) Please leave us a landline contact phone number as we are unable to call mobile phones from the office. 3) Please use the comments box to detail your problem as much as possible. If you need to follow up with any screenshots please e-mail to support@ps-energy.co.uk or for Scottish DEAs support@ps-energy.net.

Q : I was under the impression that I had lodged x amount of EPCs through PS Energy however when I use the ‘Lodged’ view in the PS Energy Data Manager it says I have lodged much less than expected.

As the PS Energy desktop software is offline it should not be used as a means of seeing how many EPCs you have lodged. The best place to do this is using our Lodgement Portal. See below: For Scottish DEAs Scottish DEAs will not receive a confirmation e-mail confirming their lodgement. When you click the Lodge EPC button on our lodgement portal, a successful lodgement will be followed by the message ‘EPC has been successfully lodged…”. You can see the EPCs that you have lodged so far using our Lodgement Portal. Hover over the History tab and select Lodged EPCs. For all other DEAs For every EPC lodged you should receive a confirmation e-mail from Landmark letting you know of its successful lodgement. You can always check this on our website using the History menu. Select EPCs lodged. Alternatively if you have the specific RRN number you can check this with Landmark Landmark HCR Register - Search Report

Q : My computer has told me that it cannot recognise my PDA. Please could you give me the instructions on what to do next?

It is likely that you have changed PC or PDA, or lost power on the PDA and the Licence has become invalid. Either way it is easy to fix. 1. Plug everything in 2. Launch PS Energy 3. Click the 'Collection' button on the toolbar. This will launch the PS Survey Manager. 4. Click 'Help | About' and then the icon on the top left of the About screen. Answer 'Yes' to the technical questions that are presented. 5. Finally make sure the SIM button is NOT pressed in and choose 'Handheld | Install' from the PS Survey Manager menu. This will re-install the licence. 6. Click Send Close and re-open PS Energy and start again.

Q : I have been informed by the Technical Support Team to ‘Send my data to support’. What does this mean and how do I go about it?

Sometimes our technical support team need to take a look at your database in order to diagnose and fix a problem you may be experiencing. You can do this as outlined below: Open PS Energy and select the Help menu. Select Send to Support. Confirm that you want to send your files to the Technical Support Team. Confirm that you want to Backup your database before sending files. Please wait a moment whilst the support files are being sent... You will eventually be prompted by a web page asking you to give details of your support request. Please let us know of the full property address of the property in your database that requires attention (as we will receive your entire database). Click the Inform the Technical Support Team button and wait for the Support Acknowledgement web page to appear. We will receive your support request shortly and will be in touch.

Q : I have been informed by the Technical Support Team to ‘Receive my data from support’. What does this mean and how do I go about it?

We may request for you to send your database to support so that we can, depending on the nature of the problem, take a look at what is going on first hand. When we have fixed the problem or resolved the issue we will require you to receive this database back from us. Before you can do this you must make sure you have added no additional properties to your database since you sent your data to support else they will be overwritten. Please inform our support team if this is the case and we will advise you on what to do next. To receive your data from support please follow the instructions below… 1) Open PS Energy. 2) Select the Help menu. 3) Select Receive from Support. 4) Tick ALL of the boxes that pop up and click OK. 5) Click OK to the Restoration Complete message. 6) Now select the Data menu. 7) Select Database Operations. 8) Select Restore. 9) Confirm any messages that pop up. Reproduce any EPC you need to lodge using the Energy Certificate button | Create Energy Certificate. If you are prompted to redo the certificate you can confirm that message.

Q : Where do I go to Lodge my EPCs?

https://epc.pocketsurvey.org/ Enter your login details provided to you via e-mail and once logged in click the Lodgement Tab | Lodge EPC.

Q : On the Tutorials page, I try to view the Training videos but nothing appears?

You need to install the latest flash player onto your computer from the link below: Download Flash

Q : I have tried to install the Flash Player but this produced an error message saying that it did not install. I selected the button, which said try again, and no error was show this time but I am not sure that it installed OK. I still cannot view the training videos. Any ideas?

There may be a firewall on your computer blocking the installation. Temporarily turn off any firewalls / anti-virus software such as Norton / Sygate and try again.

Q : I have a DEA Energy Assessment related query…

We have had a number of DEAs asking questions about energy related matters (such as "What is a xxx control?", "what does a construction of system build mean?" etc.) whilst we will help whenever we can, our support role is for the software, so you should put such questions to your Approved Protocol Organisation or Accreditation Scheme. Also simply typing the question in Google will return masses of useful information.

Q : I would like to purchase a PDA to use with PS Energy. What PDA’s are most suitable and how do I go about this?

Click the following link to see some recommended PDAs at discount prices from our hardware partner. http://www.expansys.com/c.aspx?f=1512&partner=pocketsr

Q : What is a UPRN?

A UPRN is a Unique Property Reference Number. Every property listed on the Landmark Registry has its own UPRN number, a Property ID. You must use the correct UPRN for the property address, so check and double-check this. It is always 10 digits long. Always find the UPRN and the correct address details using the Address Search on our EPC Lodgement web site - https://epc.pocketsurvey.org/

Q : Is there a tutorial to learn the software?

Yes there are many tutorials we offer. Notice the HELP button on the PS Data Manager Action Bar (left hand side of the software). If you select this you will have many options available to you. The Video Tutorials menu option takes you to a webpage offering many useful interactive training videos ranging from how to get started with the software to more specific requirements such as archiving property data. You can find this website at the following address - http://www.ps-energy.net/training/ The Text Guide is a written step-by-step manual designed to guide new PS Energy users through the lodgement process, start to finish. This has been provided as an alternative to the tutorial videos. The FAQs button links you to our Frequently Asked Questions homepage. Here you can browse through the many frequently asked questions that aim to cover everything to do with PS Energy and lodging EPCs. You should always check to see if your problem could be answered here before contacting our Technical Support Team.

Q : I have been trained to select a date band when assessing the age of a property but this software asks for a specific date. What do I enter?

Simple, enter ANY date in the band you are expecting! The software will put you date in the correct band automatically.

Q : How much do I pay for the software?

The PS Energy desktop software is FREE. If you wish to be super efficient you can use a Pocket PC PDA to do the energy assessment on-site. There is a one-off fee for the software to run on a PDA of £250 + VAT. You provide your own Pocket PC. There are no ongoing charges or 'lock-in' contracts! Take a look at our list of recommended PDAs each sold at discount prices from our hardware partner. http://www.expansys.com/c.aspx?f=1512&partner=pocketsr

Q : Which PDA/Handheld Device can I use?

Any Pocket PCs will be suitable such as Dell, iPAQ or any Windows mobile PDA. A phone enabled PDA such as the Orange SPV range or the generic 'HTC' models. A model with 3G and a 2 Mega-pixel or greater camera is recommended. Take a look at our list of recommended PDAs each sold at discount prices from our hardware partner. http://www.expansys.com/c.aspx?f=1512&partner=pocketsr

Q : I’m trying to enter into the software that a property has a partial insulated loft area. Less than 50%. Is this possible or is it treated as no insulation?

This is something that is decided internally within the RdSAP calculation. You need to make a judgement as a qualified DEA on the amount of insulation in the loft space. Inevitably, selecting an insulation thickness that suggests the loft is only partially insulated is likely to result in page 3 of the EPC informing us that the loft space is only partially insulated.

Q : How do I install PS Energy onto another computer?

Simple, as PS Energy is not exclusive to one computer you can follow the installation instructions e-mailed to you from any PC. Alternatively login to the EPC Lodgement Portal and use the Download menu to download the software from any PC. The only problem is the transferring of data. A property record that you enter on computer A will not magically appear on computer B. Although the software is not designed to transfer data between computers, this is do-able. There are three possible ways to do this, depending on how you want to go about it: Method 1 – Copying all files / folder from computer to computer Method 1 allows you to retain all the PDF EPCs from your computer, but also requires you to copy the whole PS Energy folder from one computer to another which will require some sort of external hard drive or flash pen. You first need to locate the PS ENERGY folder on your computer. You then need to copy this whole folder across to the new computer and then re-install the software on that new machine. You can find the PS Energy software installation details from the initial installation e-mail sent to you or from our EPC Lodgement Portal Website (Download menu). When installing the software, make sure you specify the installation location as the place you have moved the folder to on your new computer. Method 2 – Transferring all data via our FTP Server When you use our send to support feature (Help | Send to Support), you are essentially uploading your entire PS Energy database to our FTP server, ready for us to grab hold of this and take a look. Therefore if you want to transfer your data from one P.C to another, you can send your data to our support team and then receive it back on your new computer. Bare in mind that this will transfer your entire database but not the actual EPC PDF files, you will have the data to reproduce these however, should you need. When you are at a point to transfer data from one point to another, follow the instructions below: Sending to Support – storing your database on our server: Open PS Energy, select the Help menu, select Send to Support. Confirm that you want to send your files to the PocketSurvey Technical Support Team. Confirm that you want to Backup your database before sending files. Please wait a moment whilst the support files are being sent... You will eventually be prompted by a web page asking you to give details of your support request. Simply write ‘Backup to transfer to new machine’ in the Comments box and click the Inform the Technical Support Team button. Wait for the Support Acknowledgement web page to appear then close down the web page. We will receive your support request shortly and will set it up so that you can receive this data once on your new machine. You can always e-mail us once you have done this to speed up the support process. Receiving the data back from our server: On your new PC, make sure you have installed PS Energy. Please open PS Energy, select the Help menu, select Receive from Support. Tick all the boxes in the window that pops up. Click OK Click OK to the Restoration Complete message. Now go to the Data menu. Select Database Operations | Restore. Your entire database should now have been restored. Method 3 – Transferring specific property records PS Energy makes it possible to transfer specific property records from your PS Energy database to another. Just note that you must keep track of what you are exporting where as not to create duplicate data entries in a database. Exporting CSV files: Notice the database in the PS Energy software (split into two window panes coloured yellow and light blue). The top half of this database contains each of your property records surveyed. So say there are 6 lines of data here that means you have surveyed 6 properties. You first need to select the properties that you want to export to the other computer. Say you want to export all of the properties in your database to put on another computer... 1) Highlight the properties you wish to export in the top half of your database. A quick an easy method of doing this is to click on any record in the database. If you wish to select all properties simply hold down the CTRL key on your keyboard and press the 'a' key. If you want to select only a few, you can hold down the CTRL key whilst clicking the properties you want to select. 2) Now with everything you want to export selected, go to the Export menu at the top menubar of the software. Select 'CSV - selected'. 3) Now select the Tools menu from the menu bar. Select 'Open Survey Folder'. 4) In the folder that pops open, go into the 'EXPORT' folder. You will notice two files in here titled 'PS Energy#Property.CSV' and 'PS Energy#Element.CSV'. You need to take these two files over to the other computer so copy them across to your data stick (do not rename them!). 5) On your other computer, open the PS Energy software. Click the 'Tools' menu. Select Open Survey Folder. You need to move the two files from your data stick into this 'PS Energy' folder. 6) Now that you have put the two files into this folder, click the 'Merge' button on the Toolbar in the PS Energy software. You should now notice that all the data from the other PC is now also in this database, along with any data you have existing in this database.

Q : I lodged an EPC but have received no confirmation e-mail telling me so? Has this been lodged or not?

This confirmation e-mail is out of our hands. It comes from Landmark, and if not received soon after the lodgement it is likely that they are having trouble with their e-mail notification system. The best thing to do is to check if the EPC has been lodged by visiting the following web site ready with the EPC’s RRN number: Click here to search Landmark's HCR Register.

Q : Is there any way that you can check at your end if I have lodged a specific report?

If you have the RRN number then you can check yourself with Landmark - Click here to check with Landmark. Alternatively please provide us with the Property ID number and Address Details in an e-mail to our technical support team.

Q : I am surveying a block of flats where a number of the flats are almost identical. Is there a way of copying the same EPC a number of times but making slight alterations to each?

There are 2 ways of going about this… For those that use a visit list You can duplicate an existing property in your PS Energy database using our Cloning tool. Cloning a property means duplicating an existing property only with different address details. For the PS Energy Cloning tool to work you must have a populated visit list in place. This is because you will be required to specify the new address you wish to clone the selected property to. 1) Select a property in the top windowpane of the PS Energy database (yellow tinged area). 2) Select the Process menu from the PS Energy menubar. 3) Select ‘Clone Property’. 4) Confirm you want to clone the written property. Click OK. 5) Now you are required to select a property to clone to. This list will have been derived from your visit list. Select a property and click OK. 6) Click Continue 7) If successful you will receive the Cloning Successful message. Click OK The cloned property will have now appeared in your database. You can make any changes to the surveyed data in this property by double clicking the fields you want to edit in the database (bottom window pane). For those that do no use a visit list Once you have entered the data for one flat and received its data into the PS Energy database you will be ready to duplicate its contents and not have to re-enter any data for an almost identical flat. 1) Right click the property record that you wish to duplicate (in the top half of the PS Energy database - tinged yellow) 2) Select 'Duplicate' from the right click menu. 3) You will be asked how many. Decide on how many duplicates you want of this particular property. For the purpose of this example we shall say '1'. Click OK 4) Notice that a duplicate of that property has now appeared in the database with exactly the same details. The only difference is the Property ID. The duplicate will contain a "_1" at the end of its ID. The number refers to which duplicate number it is. * You now need to do 3 things. First of all, edit the address and property ID details so that this duplicate is of a unique and different property. Secondly you may need to make any minor adjustments to the actual property data incase this new property is not identical to the one it was duplicated from. Last of all you need to re-produce the EPC for this property. Read below... * 5) Login to the EPC Lodgement Portal website. Select the Address Search feature and search for the address that you want to attach to this duplicate property. When you find the address click the corresponding 'Show Details' button. 6) You will now see all the address details that you need to edit this duplicate, make a note of these EXACTLY. 7) Back in PS Energy, locate the duplicate in the database and double click the Property ID (should end in "_1"). Change this to be the same property ID you have just taken a note of using the Address Search (should be 10 digits long). Click OK. 8) Do the same here for all the Address fields, making sure the address on the website matches the address in the PS Energy database. 9) Now you need to make any other changes to the data necessary. Look through the bottom windowpane of the database at the different questions. Double click any question answers in the 'Description' column if you need to make a change. Once double clicked, what to do will be quite straightforward. 9) Now go to the Energy Certificate button. Select 'Create Energy Certificate' from the button list. Once the EPC pops up close it down, it will automatically save. Presto! It is as if you have painstakingly inputted all these details yourself!

Q : Is there a way I can create a spreadsheet report from PS Energy that displays certain pieces of information i.e. Property addresses, SAP ratings etc?

There are many ways of doing this. The method described below will require you to first create a PS Energy database view that only shows the fields you want to show. Once you have done this you can choose how you want to export / print that data. 1) In PS Energy left click on any of the actual column headings in the Top Window pane of the database i.e. the first heading that reads 'Property ID'. 2) Select 'Column Selector' from the menu. 3) In the Column Selector window you need to make sure that the only boxes ticked are the ones that you want to show in your report. So an example of a basic SAP report would be to tick the following... * Survey Date * Address 1 * Address 2 * Address 3 * Postcode * SAP Rating * SAP Band * EI Rating * EI Band * RRN 4) Click OK. You will now notice that the database is only showing the fields that you have selected. You have created a custom view. 5) You can now print this view, exporting the data into a number of different formats. I recommend the following... 6) Select the Export menu 7) Select 'Export Top View' 8) This will export the data that you require as a CSV file into the PS Data Doctor. You can save this file and open it up in Microsoft Excel should you require a spreadsheet of the information. Back in PS Energy you need to return your view back to normal. To do this select the Viewbar (above the Top Window pane - the long white strip bar that will more than likely now read 'Custom View'. From the dropdown menu select 'None'. You should now find all fields are on display again.

Q : I must admit I am a little confused as to who is responsible for what. There are so many organisations involved, PS Energy, Quidos, RICS, Landmark… Where do I ask for help!?

This depends on the help that you require. PS Energy are more than happy to be able to help you whenever possible and are always contactable via e-mail and phone in office hours but you should be aware of the responsibilities of the other parties involved such as QUIDOS, Landmark and BRE. For all technical support issues to do with the actual software, contact PS Energy. For any DEA related queries please contact your accreditation scheme. Although we have picked up a fair amount of DEA knowledge over the years, we are software providers, not trained energy assessors. Our software implements the formal RDSAP specification so if house/flat configurations do not conform to the standard allowed you have to ask Quidos on how to approach the assessment. Of course we can help at times - but say for example a property has 2 roof rooms you have to ask your accreditation scheme on how to deal with it because the BRE specification does not allow for 2 roof rooms. Ultimately EPCs are the Energy Assessor's responsibility, although we have been checking some of them initially, this is just to help out users in the initial stages so they do not have to pay for re-submissions. Ultimately when you lodge to the Landmark system it checks for the general form, it does not check that they are accurate or that the data input has been done correctly. Missing Addresses Although missing addresses are logged and specified using our EPC Lodgement Portal, any address problems are not the responsibility of PS Energy and should in theory be taken up directly with QUIDOS and the Landmark registry. We simply provide an interface to the Landmark system. If any address details appears to be wrong or missing in an address search it is the responsibility of Landmark to add the correct address details (they get paid for it!). We do however provide a contact form where you can submit missing / erroneous addresses. When searching for an address on our website please navigate to the left of the page and find the ‘Missing Address’ section. Click the link within this section and fill out the form. Remember this is being sent to Landmark so they will be back in touch with you directly when they have added the address. This can take up to 48 hours.

Q : The flat I am surveying is technically a Room in the Roof, how do I enter this in PS Energy?

As according to the RdSAP Specification, you are required to select a Built Form as a House, Bungalow, Flat or Maisonette. If the property is a Room in Roof, you should select this as a flat and enter no room in roof when prompted later on in the survey. The Room in Roof should be considered as a Flat.

Q : I want to run a copy of PS Energy on my laptop computer as well as my desktop so that I can use both to lodge EPCs, is this possible?

Yes it is. You can run as many copies of PS Energy as you like on as many machines as you like if done properly. The main thing to be aware of is that data created on one machine will not magically appear on another machine. This is not to say however that data is limited to one machine only, there are methods of taking the data created on one machine over to another. The best method of doing this is described below: Please note that you must keep track of what you are exporting where as not to create duplicate data entries in a database. Exporting CSV files Notice the database in the PS Energy software (split into two window panes coloured yellow and light blue). The top half of this database contains each of your property records surveyed. So say there are 6 lines of data here that means you have surveyed 6 properties. You first need to select the properties that you want to export to the other computer. Say you want to export all of the properties in your database to put on another computer... 1) Highlight all of the properties in the top half of your database. A quick an easy method of doing this is to click on any record in the database, then whilst holding down the CTRL key on your keyboard, press the 'a' key. This will select all of the properties in your database. If you wanted to just select a few, you can hold down the CTRL key whilst clicking the properties you want to select. 2) Now with everything you want to export selected, go to the Export menu at the top menubar of the software. Select 'CSV - selected'. 3) Now select the Tools menu from the menu bar. Select 'Open Survey Folder'. 4) In the folder that pops open, go into the 'EXPORT' folder. You will notice two files in here titled 'PS Energy#Property.CSV' and 'PS Energy#Element.CSV'. You need to take these two files over to the other computer so copy them across to your data stick (do not rename them!). 5) On your other computer, open the PS Energy software. Click the 'Tools' menu. Select Open Survey Folder. You need to move the two files from your data stick into this 'PS Energy' folder. 6) Now that you have put the two files into this folder, click the 'Merge' button on the Toolbar in the PS Energy software. You should now notice that all the data from the other PC is now also in this database, along with any data you have existing in this database.

Q : If I select that there is no Primary Heating System present in a property, will the software automatically assume electric heaters are in place as outlined in our DEA training notes?

Yes this is correct. If you select ‘None’ as the Primary Heating, you will notice on page 3 of the resulting EPC that it will read: No system present: electric heaters assumed

Q : How do I specify a basement in a property? I used to be able to do that in the software until recently? The option to specify a separate basement was a selectable option before the implementation of the RdSAP 9.82 update that came into effect from October 2008. However this question has now been removed where the basement should be inputted as the lowest storey in a property. Say a property has two storeys plus a basement level. This should be entered as a three-storey property in PS Energy.

Q : Is it possible to download an EPC graph to be sent to the Estate Agents once I have lodged an EPC?

Yes this is possible. First of all please log on to our EPC Lodgement Portal. From the menu go to 'History | EPCs lodged'. Select the day that you lodged the EPC. The RRN should be shown at the bottom of the page. Click the 'view' link and you graph should open. Right click the graph to save it to your computer.

Q : When i try and generate an EPC, after the Tick Wanted Improvements screen i get an error message reading 'corrupt file'. I therefore cannot see the EPC. What do i do?

Please follow the link below and re-install the software over your current installation... http://files.pocket-survey.net/epc/ps-energy.exe Run the program and enter the password of voltage when prompted by the installation program.