Independent · Human · Free
Ask an Engineer before you sign.
Send me your quote and I'll check it — as a person, not a computer — and tell you in plain English what's good, what's missing and what to ask. It's free.
Darren Emery40+ years, Senior Project Instrument Engineer & Technical AuthorityNever paid by installers
Start here
Pick one and I'll take you straight to the form. A photo of the quote is fine.
Simple answers, one idea at a time. What's a Heat Pump? Can my house charge an EV? Sparky keeps it short and friendly — for families, and for anyone who'd rather skip the jargon.
Sparky never tells you what to buy, and he never judges a quote. That's Darren's job.
See Sparky in the EV guide →The full working — the numbers, the physics, and exactly what to look for on a quote. Every sum shows its workings and the date it was checked.
"In my old world, nobody took a design figure on trust. We measured it."
How I check a quote →Why this exists
Our job is to slow the conversation down and give you the facts.
The government's own trial monitored Heat Pumps in real homes. 91.9% were running below their design figure — the typical one about 18% below. That's not because Heat Pumps don't work. It's because design, installation and settings get missed. That's exactly what an Engineer looks for.
Source: Energy Systems Catapult for DESNZ, Electrification of Heat report, December 2024.
Ask the Engineer
A photo or PDF is fine. Tell me what's worrying you.
I take a limited number each week so every quote gets real attention.
Green, amber, red — and the questions to put back to your installer.
The guides
Sparky's short answer first, then the Engineer's working. The first guide is live; the rest are on the bench.
About
I'm Darren Emery. I started in 1983 as an apprentice Instrument Artificer and spent the next 40-odd years in the hard end of British industry — refineries, power stations, petrochemicals, steelworks, pharmaceuticals, water and offshore. I finished as a Senior Project Instrument Engineer and Technical Authority on major safety-critical projects.
In that world, if a plant isn't doing what it was designed to do, that's a fault to be found — not an opinion. I bring the same discipline to Homeowners' quotes.
M.Sc. · SIL Champion · DSEAR Champion · Hazard Studies Leader · Gas and Vapours (Ex01–Ex04) competency
"Mighty Oaks from Acorns grow."
Sparky's glowing acorn is what this site is about: a little bit of good advice now, and you're warmer and better off for years.
Send it to me and I'll check it — as a person, not a computer — for free. A one-page report, green, amber, red, and the questions to ask your installer.
— Darren Emery, Engineer