With exactly four weeks go to, there is still no news about when specific guidance to estate agents will be issued about changes to Energy Performance Certificates.
The guidance for agents had been promised for last week ‘well in advance’ of April 6 when the changes now seem certain to be implemented. However, a second week has now all but gone by.
Repeated attempts by EAT to get information from the Government department concerned, Communities and Local Government, yesterday afternoon finally resulted in EAT being sent a note dated February 17, entitled Summary of Changes to EPC Regulations.
The accompanying email said ‘this attached guidance is available to estate agents’. However, whilst the guidance confirms what is already widely known, it is silent on the subject of online marketing requirements, the new-look EPC, and on whether there are approved software packages available to extract the first page of the EPC as an image which can be put into sales particulars.
It begs the question whether, contrary to what CLG has been saying until now, whether specific guidance for estate agents will even be issued.
Even EPC providers do not know for sure what is happening.
David Callcott, managing director of technology provider Quest, pictured, said his firm is still working towards the April 6 date, as it has not been advised otherwise.
He understands that the new-look design for the EPC has now been approved, and meets the methodology to support the Green Deal.
He said: “We currently await official publication of this by CLG, in addition to confirmation regarding when final guidance will be issued to estate agents.
“In terms of electronic listings, CLG has confirmed that an electronic link to the most current EPC on the official Register must be included for online listings, to take consumers through to the full EPC. For paper particulars, the first page should be attached (it is not sufficient in this circumstance to merely have the link printed on the details).”
Today, EAT publishes a blog by David Callcott on the changes, including those to commercial properties. The blog is as definitive and as up to date as possible, although the guidance to estate agents (and, importantly, conveyancers) has not yet been released.
EAT will keep readers updated with changes as soon as we know of them.
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Comments
@EPC Advice
…..deep breath fella, lots of horrid stuff in the world to feel like snapping about so get a grip.
Now, at the risk of setting you off gain, its true – no one looks at the EPC, no one says they don’t want to view a place because it’s a C rating and no one mentions it when they offer – we bung it in to the details and all that, normally next to the floor plan (which everyone looks at) but they don’t seem to move their eyes the extra 3mm to the right to see the pretty graph thing.
You see, its because we are professional, you know, trust me I do it for a living type thing and we are the experts we know this stuff so chaps like you don’t need to get cross about it
Jonnie
Another regular argument, but ignores the rest of the information in the certificate... No one wants you to avoid your dream home because its the wrong band, that's why the certificate tells you how much it will cost to raise the efficiency to a more reasonable level, and how far it can be raised.
No one ever went shopping for a Rolls Royce and came home with a smart car because of fuel economy, but at least they know what their new car is going to cost them to run... They go in with their eyes open.
Finally, given that an average property now costs over 1,000 a year in energy bills, a bad rating on a first time buyer property can easily cost a buyer an extra 60-80 pounds a month... Don't you think someone struggling to get on the housing ladder might want to know that?
I understand your argument about your fridge, but at least you had the chance to make an informed decision. You decided the colour was worth more to you than the extra fiver a month it will cost to run (or whatever the difference is). You chose to disregard the graph, other might not, but at least you had the information up front. Home buyers and tenants should have the same opportunity.
EPC Advice, last week when I got a new fridge, but ignored it as I liked the red one not the white one in band C and not D! Now unless a nutty green, am I not going to buy my dream home to buy one in a lower band, nah! Ge real.
GET RID,
I am about to snap... I have had so called professional estate agents consistently tell me 'No one ever looks at these things' when the truth is you are supposed to be the experts! How often does a vendor go through the sales process? Once every five years? Once a decade? Aren't you supposed to advise your clients about the process?
To each agent who tells me no one looks at these things I give the same answer... How many people in the last five years have you OFFERED an EPC to?
Had you ever thought that if agents had been seen to volunteer the EPC to potential tenants and buyers, the government wouldn't have to try and legislate to make you do it.
Another load of RED tape nonsense do buyers or the public really care? ask yourself when was the last time a buyers lawyer or buyer ever asked to see an EPC?
The official line is " Put your head between your legs and kiss your ar$e goodbye."
Thank you.
SERIOUSLY - HAS ANYONE HAD ANY GUIDANCE FR0M CLG ON WHAT TO DO - I'VE HEARD ABSOLUTELY NOTHING IN MY OFFICE. PLEASE POST HERE IF YOU HAVE BEEN OFFICIALLY TOLD WHAT TO DO ON 'CHANGE DAY' TO AVOID FINES.
"CLG has confirmed that an electronic link to the most current EPC on the official Register must be included for online listings, to take consumers through to the full EPC"
Does this still disclose the property name & no. ?
They are having a laugh.
Pathetic.
So CLG hasn't sorted anything out yet for EPC changes, but no doubt will once again expect agents just to 'know' on the due day what to do. Governments may change but their ineptitude doesn't!