News
HIPs to be required for all properties
From 14 December 2007, all properties marketed for sale in England and Wales will need a Home Information Pack (HIP), which includes a home energy rating.
Currently, any property that was already on the market on the relevant commencement date (i.e. 1 August 2007 for sales of homes with four or more bedrooms; 10 September 2007 for those with three or more bedrooms and 14 December for all properties) does not need to have a HIP.
No date has yet been set to require a HIP for all properties on the market regardless of the date the property was first marketed.
HIPs for three beds become mandatory
The Government has today announced that Home Information Packs (HIPs) and Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) will be rolled out to three bedroom properties from 10 September 2007.
HIPs and EPCs are being introduced on a phased basis to ensure a smooth transition in the housing market, and to begin the process of transforming the home buying and selling process in the interests of consumers and the environment at the earliest opportunity.
Following the introduction of the packs for homes with four bedrooms and above on 1 August 2007, the Government has today confirmed there will be enough energy assessors, nationally and regionally, to roll out to three bedroom homes next month, having taken into account the operation of HIPs in the market.
HIPs and EPCs will give house buyers energy ratings for homes for the first time, from A to G - similar to consumer friendly ratings for fridges, helping to lower fuel bills and reduce carbon emissions. The packs will also help to cut costs for consumers by increasing transparency and competition in the home buying and selling process.
Communities Minister Baroness Andrews said:
“ We are now ready to start rolling out HIPs and EPCs to the next part of the market as promised, and improve a home buying and selling process which currently is not working for consumers or the environment.
HIPs and EPCs can help families to save hundreds of pounds off their fuel bills, and cut a million tonnes of carbon a year. They also have the potential to reduce the millions of pounds wasted by consumers when buying and selling a home, by increasing transparency and competition in a process that hasn't changed for a generation. ”
Measures recommended in the EPC could reduce the average consumer’s fuel bills by approximately £300 a year, according to the Energy Saving Trust. Typical ‘green grants’ of £100 to £300 for energy saving improvements like loft insulation are available for many home owners.
A new system to make it easier for home owners to access these grants from energy suppliers was launched earlier this month. Energy suppliers are providing immediate access and information about green grants and offers to home buyers when they sign up to an energy contract. A new portal on the Energy Saving Trusts website also allows consumers to tap in their postcode to find out offers available.