About Expert Energy

Expert Energy was set up in 2010 to provide independent, impartial advice on energy efficiency, energy conservation and renewable energy to homeowners, businesses and organisations. We work with clients who are happy to invest more in a higher-quality service that goes into greater breadth and depth than the lower-cost alternatives.

We use many of the latest tools and techniques alongside good old-fashioned detective work to find out where in our clients’ homes and offices energy is being wasted.

Technical Director Andy Smale originally trained as a physicist at the University of Sheffield, progressing to working in corporate IT for a number of years. In this time Andy segued into a part-time carbon management role, working on energy strategy and communications and helping the department towards two national awards for carbon reduction, one of which was awarded by central government.

Andy’s scientific training provides a solid basis for understanding the principles underlying energy use. He started Expert Energy out of a genuine desire to help individuals and organisations reduce their environmental impact, and since 2010 has helped hundreds of clients, saving thousands of tonnes of carbon emissions over that period.

Andy works in partnership with our longstanding friends at Mesh Energy as a Specialist on the Meshwork online low-energy and sustainable building design community.

See Andy’s LinkedIn profile for more information on his background.

As you might expect, Andy has worked hard to make his own home energy-efficient. A 4kW solar PV system and a wood-burning stove running off tree surgery waste, combined with efficient heating, lighting and appliances and a decent standard of thermal insulation all result in annual gas bill of averaging around 2,000kWh and electricity consumption of a little over 1,000kWh. For comparison, the typical consumption for a similar property would be 11,000kWh gas and 3,500kWh electricity. However Andy is not complacent and sees plenty of potential for further improvement…

In a relationship going back more than ten years and pre-dating Expert Energy, Andy has been working with local environmental group WinACC (Winchester Action on Climate Change), leading on major projects tackling fuel poverty and providing technical consultancy support in both a paid professional and voluntary capacity.

Away from work, Andy can usually be found riding one of his five bikes around the Hampshire lanes, or out enjoying his other hobby of landscape photography.