Guidance has now been published on Energy Performance Certificates and the changes which kick in from January 9.
As our report said yesterday, ALL property adverts will have to show the EPC rating.
However, there is no requirement to carry the graphs.
Nor is there any need to attach the front page of the EPC to particulars or ‘any written materials’.
Peter Bolton King, global residential director at the RICS, has welcomed the development. He said: "I am pleased that, the Government have listened to our concerns about the practicalities of the previous requirements."
The link to the guidance is below:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/improving-the-energy-efficiency-of-our-buildings
Comments
@ Jackie Oliver
Not at the moment no recommendations in an EPC that qualify for Green Deal loan finance are not compulsory.
But from Aporil 2016 the tenant will be able to force the landlord to do any such works unless the Landlord can show that refusal to do so is not "unreasonable".
Maybe it being a listed building could be an argument?!!
A building of special architectural or historic interest is a listed building by definition and therefore appears quite clearly to be exempt from the new rules. (The logic in this is presumably because many of the suggestions to improve energy efficiency would not receive listed building consent, although I cannot see why these should not still have the basic EPC.). "
RC - it's madness - you don't need listed building consent to insulate a loft, upgrade a boiler, add secondary glazing, change light bulbs etc etc. You would for solar panels or wall insulation.
No one is obliged to make any changes to a property as recommended in the EPC therefore the 'special architecture or historic interest' clause is irrelevant and in my opinion should be dropped - there is already an option to opt out of these recommendations in certain circumstances so why change it?
I really do wonder if the people who make up these documents have any idea what happens in the real world! Actually I know they don't..
Dear Santa, the sillee men in the big bilding said we should now stop doing what they arsked us to do and now want us to play using different rules. I'm terriblee confused and think the elves need to go and shake their little fists at these people. All my friends think their rules stink aneeway and are now not going to play at all cause it is all rubbish
This is all such BS. As @SA says - sod it, my sentiments entirely mate.
Just looked at an EPC (there's a first time for everything you know) and I think I might add as a sinle line: EE-C=67 P=68, EI-C=48P=51 or whatever the numbers are on the front page of the EPC. Job done. Anyone asks what it means just shrug or change the subject or do what politicians do give an unrelated answer, that should fool them.
If anyone wants to see an EPC they can and no e.mail no copy but hard copy for payment. This could be an extra income stream.
And another thing: a Listed Building or one in a designated area doesn't need an EPC if the "compliance" with "requirements" would "unacceptably alter character or appearance". It doesn't say that all such officially protected buildings are necessarily exempt. Putting aside the daftness about compliance with requirements, (and assuming they meant to say "undertaking certain energy efficiency recommendations"), how do you know what those would be if you haven't got an EPC? Catch 22 classic.
9th January we're not American ahhhh
A building of special architectural or historic interest is a listed building by definition and therefore appears quite clearly to be exempt from the new rules. (The logic in this is presumably because many of the suggestions to improve energy efficiency would not receive listed building consent, although I cannot see why these should not still have the basic EPC.).
Designated Environment opens up a can of worms. One would assume that this means National Parks, Heritage Coastline, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Areas of Great Landscape Value. That is about a quarter of the English countryside (three quarters down here in Devon and Cornwall) and doesn't include Conservation Areas!
And another thing: the asset rating is defined in the regulations as the "numerical indicator...". This must be stated in commercial media. But in the guidance notes being circulated they give the example of the rating as "C".
So which is it? A letter or a number?
In my understanding of the English language "C" is NOT a "numerical indicator".
Sod it.
I can't be arsed any more. Why do we bother what stupid laws these pillocks in Government come up with. Just get an EPC and ignore the rest.
Bloody clowns.
Good point Jackie. No need for compliance with requirements. So no exemption.
But aside from that, presumably a designated environment includes National Parks, AONBs & Conservation Areas. That's a lot of potentially exempt properties. And what's the definition of "unacceptably"?
They don't get any better with their pronouncements, do they?
Can someone please tell me in respect of lettings and what is now needed on EPCs:-
1. Where is the confirmation that the EPC can still be shown electronically to a prospective tenant
2. Whilst the first page no longer needs to be attached to particulars all references to only needing to show page 1 to any prospective tenant (electronically or hard copy)have disappeared.
But what do appear are references to making the EPC (the whole thing) available to prospective tenants, not just showing them page 1. The implication in this latest publication is that the whole EPC must be made available to every prospective tenant viewing the property
3.Where are the fines stated, currently £200 per day. All that is mentioned here are the fines for non-dwellings
Mmnnn? "the following types of buildings will not require an EPC: buildings and monuments officially protected as part of a designated environment or because of special architectural or historic merit in so far as compliance with certain energy efficiency requirements would unacceptably alter character or appearance"
That's not written very well! There is no requirement to comply with any recommendations in the EPC so I cant see how Listed Buildings can be exempt by this clause!
I must be reading this wrong because the document (page 8) in my translation of it says the EPC graph must be displayed where possible (i.e. advertising media, which includes property particulars).
Therefore my understanding is the only change is the NEW EPC format, whereby the whole page had to be displayed on property particulars has been withdrawn from 9th January, however the graph MUST still be displayed.
This is from page 8 of the CLG new guideline;
From 9 January 2013 all sales or lettings advertisements in the commercial media1 should show the EPC rating of the property being advertised. There is no requirement to display the full certificate but where there is adequate space, the advertisement should show the A-G graph.
However, it is recognised that this will not always be possible. In such cases the advertisement should include the actual EPC rating of the property (for example C).
For the purposes of this document, commercial media is used to mean:
• newspapers and magazines
• written material produced by the seller/landlord/estate agent that describes the building being offered for sale or rent
• the Internet
Thanks to EAT for helping us out on this.
Why do we have to rely on people like EAT for this? Bearing in mind the OFT has us all reigistered for AML purposes, why don't they push out these guidance notes to our business? In case they don't know what their body's initials stand for it's 'Office of Fair Trading' guys. You want us to act fairly when dealing with the public? How about helping us to do thatit?
Oh, and thanks to this anti red tape Government as well. We get to see this 2 days before the Christmas break and it comes in a few working days into the New Year.
What planet are they on? They made it a legal requirment to display the EPC's front page earlier this year now it isn't. They've sat on their a***s for months deliberating this and then expect us to drop everything.
We've got two choices, stop whatever we're doing and digest 25 pages of guidance notes (which only justify our position that the whole thing was a waste of time anyway) or try to get a couple of more deals under our belts for December.
Hmmmm, difficult one that . . . . . . .