Important changes to rules on EPCs have been postponed until next April.
They could have been implemented as early as next week, but are now set to kick in on April 6, 2012.
There have been few concessions in the much-delayed changes, but further guidance will be issued before next spring.
The only real concession, as already revealed on EAT, is that the requirement for agents, both sales and lettings, to attach an EPC report to all particulars has been toned down so that only the first page of the EPC will now have to be attached.
However, this is unlikely to please critics who point out that it will still mean having to produce and print another sheet of paper, and it will be almost immaterial as to whether it is printed on one or both sides.
Otherwise, agents will have to prove they have ordered an EPC before marketing, and will have seven days to produce an EPC – or a further 21 if they haven’t managed to do so, despite trying.
The changes in regulations will also mean that Trading Standards officers will have new powers to get agents to prove that they have commissioned an EPC when marketing a property without one. A number of ‘consequential changes’ to the role of Trading Standards, allowing them to enforce their new duties, will be made.
Where the property’s address has been omitted from the particulars, it will not be necessary to put the address on the EPC.
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Comments
PeeBee, I'll give you "scrapping a living". I used to be an agent and I can guarantee 1. I earn more than I used to 2. I earn more than you do 3. I work no more than 5 hours a day with no weekends.
How about you come and work for me??
If only dea's had targeted the public directly via advertising from the very beginning, they would not have been exploited by panels, agent's, landlords etc, many came into this industry with no business skills and were easy prey for agents and others, those remaining should do as i do and encourage private homeselling and letting to gain reasonably well paid epc work.
By the way agent's are you aware that a ban on poorly rated properties being let out is included in the forthcoming energy bill? and did you know there is talk of council tax penalties for poorly rated homes in terms of energy efficiency, still think epc's are unimportant?.. think again!.
@ Kerry Katona
EPCs don't have the slightest baring on the value, desireability or saleability of properties. They are merely an EU sanctiond paper pushing exercise.
I am yet to meet a single buyer who would place energy efficiency over having the correct: price, size, type, location, condition and outlook. The chances are that if a buyer ever does find two identical properties for sale that match each other point for point on all the above criteria then they will be next door to each other, were probably built by the same bloke and in all likelihood have the same energy rating anyway.
I should say however, that whilst it is a giant waste of time, money and effort, we do comply with the law and provide them for the properties we are selling.
EPC Hunter: "...if all agents complied with the EPC laws, I'd have too many EPCs to do!"
Maybe - but at least you would then be more likely to scrape a living wage! ;o)
Great call Terry Katona (hows Lucien?)
My only concern as an Energy Assessors is that if all agents complied with the EPC laws, I'd have too many EPCs to do!
Its bad enough parking my Porsche out of sight of the agents office, let alone paying 50% tax.
Ahhh - Terry Katona - I have missed your input lately.
Erm... sorry - I made a typo above. It SHOULD have read:
"OH GAWD! - that complete berk Katona is back again, ranting about nothing as usual.
Warn the nuthouse they left the door open..."
There - that reads better.
The sooner we have full licensing for agents the better, it's obvious they do not stick to the law, epc's are a legal requirement so get over it, gov't needs to come down hard on non compliance, epc's are there to help consumers decide on a property, agents fear poorly rated homes are harder to shift,... too bad, don't mislead the public and don't hide facts from them, it's no wonder agents have such a terrible reputation, you bring it on yourselves!.
Anthony
Good afternoon, with all due respect I'm not sure why people pay an arm and a leg round here for a Georgian property. Whatever the reason, it is most definitely not the energy efficiency!
Any double glazing devalues the property, huge stone fireplaces increase the value. I think when properties are 're-rated' they may be penalised for not being of the energy efficient type, bit like engine sizes. Still lots of gas guzzlers around here too.
"...Otherwise, agents will have to prove they have ordered an EPC before marketing"
Prove to who? I'm sure that no-one at Peterborough City Council will want to be bothered on a daily basis by agents "proving" that we have ordered EPCs before we market.
Giant waste of time/money/effort (delete as appropriate!)
So Local Authority budgets are being cut and hence services slashed and the OFT will use valuable resources to concentrate on worthless EPCs or policing the lack of them, hardly makes sense!
Residential EPCs should be displayed inside the property in the same way they are displayed (Display Energy Certificates) in Public buildings. There is no need to add paperwork to agency particulars. A small EPC graph on the details should be sufficient.
With energy prices predicted to double over the next 10 years EPCs will become an important determinnig factor in deciding which property to pursue.
anepc.co.uk
it would be far easier just to get rid of EPC's no one takes a blind bit of notice of them anyway. most people think they are stickers lifted of a refrigerator at Currys