As of 21st May 2010 The Government decided to suspend the use of Home Information Packs (HIPS) pending their outright abolition at the earliest opportunity. This now means that sellers and estate agents are no longer required to produce a HIP prior to the marketing of a property, reducing the cost of selling a home, removing a layer of regulation from the process and providing a welcome help to the housing market during the recovery. The Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) a smaller and less expensive element of the HIPs will be retained, these can only be produced by a licensed Domestic Energy Assessor. The EPC ranks the energy efficiency of a home with A to G ratings, The most efficient homes - which should have the lowest fuel bills - are in band A. The Certificate also tells you, on a scale of A-G, about the impact the home has on the environment. Better-rated homes should have less impact through carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The average property in the UK is in bands D-E for both ratings. The Certificate includes recommendations on ways to improve the home's energy efficiency to save you money and help the environment.
Sellers will have to produce an EPC within 28 days of marketing a property for sale and Next Move Estates will be providing all new vendor instructions with an EPC free of charge until further notice.
