All homes marketed for sale in England and Wales now need a Home Information Pack (HIP). The Pack includes an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), which contains an energy efficiency rating for the home, plus advice on how to cut carbon emissions and fuel bills. This must be attached to the estate agents' property-sales particulars at the very first stage of marketing.
There are a number of other documents included in HIPS such as a sale statement, searches and evidence of title. Packs are taking around five days to compile, with many estate agents charging in the region of £300 plus VAT for a HIP.
The ‘Energy Performance Certificate' (EPC)
The Energy Performance Certificate tells prospective buyers about the energy performance of your house. Similar in look and feel to the EU energy label, this certificate gives your house a rating between A-G, with A the highest and G the lowest. This rating is awarded by an accredited Energy Assessor who visits the property to collect the relevant data and creates the certificate.
As well as the energy rating, prospective buyers can receive practical advice on measures that they can take to reduce carbon emissions and save on energy bills. In addition, these measures will improve the rating of the home.
Early information obtained about the introduction of HIPS shows that homes are on average receiving an 'E' rating in their Energy Performance Certificates on the A-G scale. However, by taking some cost effective measures such as loft insulation and cavity wall insulation this could potentially rise to a 'C, and make the house more attractive to potential buyers.
Since the requirement was introduced recent reports have indicated that the top five recommendations given to house holders or improving energy efficiency have been: cavity wall insulation, changing to low energy lighting, putting thermostatic valves on radiators, loft insulation, and double glazing.
You can take action to improve the Energy Performance Rating that your home will get by using this web-site. For example, you can request a free, no obligation Home Insulation Survey and Quotation by following this link. You can also find a wide selection of Low Energy Light Bulb retailers by clicking here.
If you are thinking about selling your home, early indications are that taking some of these measures can increase the attractiveness of your property, and you may even get a higher price. Research by the Energy Saving Trust shows that buyers are willing to pay up to £10,000 more for an environmentally friendly house - and that 70% consider energy efficiency to be important when buying a home.
The energy efficiency rating is based on the performance of the building itself and its services (such as heating and lighting), rather than the domestic appliances within it e.g. washing machines etc. This is known as an asset rating. The certificate also takes into account the age, location, size and condition of the building when providing a rating and suggesting improvements.
Full details of about HIPS and Energy Performance Certificates can be found on this UK Government website
You can also see a sample energy performance certificate by following this link:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/pdf/energy-certificate
