The new coalition government has suspended Home Information Packs with immediate effect from today, the 21st May 2010. This means that homes marketed for sale on or after this date will no longer require a Home Information Pack. However, Energy Performance Certificates are still required.
Communities secretary, Eric Pickles said:
“The expensive and unnecessary Home Information Pack has increased the cost and hassle of selling homes and is stifling a fragile housing market.
That’s why I’m taking emergency action to suspend the HIP, bringing down the cost of selling a home and removing unnecessary regulation from the home buying process.”
What is an Energy Performance Certificate?
An Energy Performance Certificate, otherwise known as an EPC, provides a rating of the properties energy efficiency and displays this as a graph, similar to those found in kitchen appliances. It doesn’t look at the appliances, but rather the performance of the building itself in areas such as heating and lighting.
Ratings come on a scale of A-G, with A being the best rating. Most homes in the UK have a band D-E rating for both Energy Efficiency and Environmental Impact.
The EPC also outlines some ideas which help to improve the building’s energy performance. Implementing these can lead to lower energy bills, reduced carbon deposits and can make homes more attractive to potential buyers.
It is the seller’s duty to provide in EPC but if your home is already on the market with a HIP, you do not need to do anything as the EPC should be included in your HIP, all EPC’s are valid for 10 years.
If you do not provide an EPC there is a fixed penalty of £200. Enforcement of these requirements is the responsibility of Trading Standards Officers. There are also penalties for not complying with the duty to commission an EPC before putting the property on the market.
The seller and estate agent must use all reasonable efforts to ensure that the EPC is available within 28 days of the property going on the market.
21 May 2010
