Energy Performance Certificates.

Home information Pack (HIP Sellers Pack)

THe requirement to have a Home Information Pack prior to selling a house was suspended in May 2010.

Gillian Charlesworth, a director at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, said: “HIPs have failed to address the significant problems in the home buying process they were originally supposed to tackle and we are pleased that one of the first acts of the new Government has been to clearly show their intention to abolish them. Taking a swift decision will have minimized the impact on the market and ensured that estate agents who stick to the rules will not lose out.”

 

Energy Performance Certificates. The certificates will provide 'A to G' ratings for the home's energy efficiency and carbon emissions, as per EU regulations. Among the four-bedroom homes assessed since Hips were launched, the average rating is reportedly an E.

EPCs will tell homebuyers the current average costs for heating, hot water and lighting for the property as well as how to cut costs with energy efficiency measures.

Key Fact -Validity

An Energy Performance Certicate remains valid for several years. If you are not happy with the rating it is possible to launch a legal challenge. Ask your solicitor if this is the case for you.

Energy Performance Certificates

Sellers will need to commission an Energy Performance Certificate when placing a property for sale, on the open market. Your Estate Agent will organise one if this is necessary.

Government legislation states that “all homes bought, sold or rented require an EPC”.

An Energy Performance Certificate is used to provide potential buyers with a property’s energy-use and carbon dioxide emissions, alongside a recommendation report which details, if necessary, how to improve these factors.

Residential Energy Performance Certificates carry a grading from A to G, A being the most efficient and G being the least.

Energy Performance Certificates for Rental Properties

An Energy Performance Certificate for rental properties is prepared by an energy assessor and takes into account loft insulation, cavity walls and waste management. An EPC for rented accommodation can be of benefit to landlords, offering lower running costs which may in turn appeal to those looking for a property that has lower fuel bills.

How much does an Energy Performance Certificate Cost

Costs vary so do get a couple of quotes. We have just had an Energy Performance Certificate completed for our 3 bedroomed bungalow (August 2010) and the cost was £75 including VAT. One quote we had was nearly double that amount.