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Conveyancing Today

Green lobby calls for Tories to re-consider EPC policy

Friday 3rd July 2009

Most ‘stakeholders’ in the residential property industry would regard it as a retrograde step if Energy Performance Certificates were no longer required from the first day that a property is marketed.

The Tories have pledged that, if they get into power at the next election, they will move the EPC requirement back from the start of the sales process to the end – thus cancelling the obligation of agents to include EPCs in their particulars.

Nigel Farren, of Homes Matter, an online estate agency and ‘green’ homes business, carried out an email survey of 22 organisations. Of these, 17 said that the Conservative proposal was a bad idea, one had no views either way, three did not comment, and one supported the idea.

Farren, whose website does not currently appear to list any homes for sale but which offers sellers an agency fee of 1.5% or a flat rate £899 if they implement measures suggested in an EPC, said: “If the Conservatives are elected in 2010 and implement their proposal, it would be counter to the spirit of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive at a time when we should be building on the EPC system by requiring minimum energy efficiency standards for existing housing.

“It could also lead to fewer EPCs being issued, as a significant percentage of sellers withdraw their properties before sale due to a change in their circumstances or market conditions.”

He said that because estate agents would also no longer need to include EPCs in their particulars, buyers would no longer know at the outset the EPC rating of a home they were interested in, or be able to compare ratings.

He also said that property owners would be disincentivised to improve the energy efficiency of their home before sale or rent, that Domestic Energy Assessors would receive less work, and that EPCs would be devalued in the eyes of the consumer.

He went on: “Over two million EPCs have now been issued but few have been acted upon and there are no government statistics available.”

Farren has now sent his report to the organisations that took part in his survey, and to shadow ministers at the Conservative party, with a request that they reconsider their proposal.

The 23 organisations contacted included AHIPP, Council of Mortgage Lenders, Energy Savings Trust, Friends of the Earth, Green Alliance, Which?, RICS and NAEA.

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Posted By Chris - Peterborough on Monday 13th July 2009 01:57:07

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1997 All European Union member states ratified the 1997 Kyoto Protocol and in this agreement goverments agreed to make domestic property more efficient. EPC's are part of this obligation, but the house buying process is not the weapon of choice, but council tax is! Some people never move home, but everyone pays council tax! The buying/ selling process was simply used to get properties measured. Then after a number of years where enough properties have EPC's, the local councils will start to use them to raise council tax on less efficient houses. Anyone without an EPC will be charged as though they have an inefficient house, which will encourage people to pay for one themselves.
So you see, it matters not whether the EPC's are done when the house goes on the market or when it sells, just as long as it gets done at some point and it is much easier to do it when the surveyor pops round at the end!

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Posted By Ray Evans on Friday 3rd July 2009 13:18:32

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I agree with the first 3 posts. HIP's and EPC's serve no useful purpose in the property purchase scheme. The Government should spend their time and our money on just educating the general public on energy saving.

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Posted By Mr Glum on Friday 3rd July 2009 11:56:03

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NO BUYERS CARE nor have they any appetite to spend money on the recommendations .No sellers care nor do they have any appetite to act on the recommendations either.Likewise I have not had agreat deal of interest in the reports from potential buyers ,and more importantly if I offers ight of or a copy of a report to the seller who has paid for it they are not the least bit interested! Who then is interested ?Only those involved in making money from them.simple

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Posted By Nick Salmon SPLINTA on Friday 3rd July 2009 11:51:31

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If this decaying and discredited government had had the courage of its conviction it would have tasked the energy companies with producing an EPC for every home in the country - funded out of the proportion of their profits that must be allocated to energy-saving measures. But I guess that would be too simple a solution...

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Posted By mikeycartmen on Friday 3rd July 2009 11:43:12

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I look forward to HIPs + EPCs + 1st day marketing being scrapped. The only people standing up for them are the Government that need the revenue through VAT and anyone who is employed to produce them. To date I have had only 3 customers ask to see a HIP/ EPC since their launch and 99% of customers think they are a complete waste of time and money & state the HIP/ EPC makes no difference to their decisions making process when buying/ renting! Come on the Tories!

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Editorial Contact Details - Rosalind Renshaw | rosalind.renshaw@estateagenttoday.co.uk | 01252 843 566.