Want to Live in a Green House?

25th April 2007

Ever imagined that you would have the equivalent of a fridge or freezer rating applied to your property? From 1 June 2007 this will become fact rather than fiction as the Home Information Pack (HIP) legislation becomes an integral part of home buying and selling in England and Wales.

Home Information Packs have been discussed in great detail over the past few years, with the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) becoming a more critical element of the pack.  Each property for sale will need an EPC which rates the property’s energy efficiency and offers recommendations that could help cut CO² emissions and fuel bills.  Following assessment by a qualified Energy Assessor, a property will be rated A – G, with A being the most efficient.  This addition to the selling process is part of the Government’s drive to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. 

According to the most recent survey of Home Sale Network members of which Manning Stainton, Leeds is a member, 79% of respondents believe that the EPC will become an increasingly important consideration for prospective buyers over the coming two years, with almost 14% anticipating that will be a significant consideration for some.

Furthermore, 35% of respondents will recommend that their vendor’s conduct remedial work to improve the energy rating of their home if this is necessary to improve the chances of a sale.  Remedial actions could include fitting double glazing, installing or replacing out of date cavity wall insulation and loft insulation, adding a hot water tank jacket – an action which can cut heat loss by around 75% on its own* and the replacement of ordinary light bulbs with energy efficient bulbs, which consume approximately 80% less energy than regular bulbs.

David Pank. Sales & Marketing Director, Manning Stainton, commented: “Domestic household properties are one of the main sources of carbon dioxide emissions in the UK, therefore we look forward to being able to reduce the damage caused to the environment by recommending actions vendors can take, from the simplest task of reducing the heating by 1% through to the longer term measures of insulation”.

“The EPC will clearly show the cost of the actions that need to be taken to improve the properties rating, which will be a significant help to vendors.  Designed to reduce fuel bills, the EPC has to be a step in the right direction” David added.