Although no guidance to agents appears to have been issued last week by the Communities and Local Government department – as had been promised – an insider says the changes will definitely go ahead on April 6.
The source says that CLG is committed to implementing the changes, despite the fact that the redesigned EPC has not yet been approved.
It is from this that agents will have to take the first page and attach it to all their particulars.
No guidance has been given about online marketing.
Agents have told EAT that even if guidance were issued now, there would not be enough time for agents and property websites to make the changes to their systems.
Nick Salmon said: “This is just what we have come to expect from the inhabitants of CLG World that is so often worryingly far removed from reality.
“I suspect that somewhere in CLG a civil servant has taken a pair or scissors and some glue and, in Blue Peter style, has created a set of sales particulars with the page of the EPC attached.
“All well and good for a one-off, but how are agents who take on literally thousands of properties a year supposed to do it in a timely and cost-effective manner?”
But trade body PEPA – the Property & Energy Professionals Association, founded by Mike Ockenden – brushed aside agents’ criticisms.
It said agents had had plenty of time to prepare and quashed suggestions that there would not be enough DEAs trained in the new-style EPCs, which deliver messages linked with the Green Deal.
A PEPA spokesperson said: “The new EPC regulations that come into force in April were laid down in law last year and clearly stipulate the changes that will be introduced.
“While agents may still be waiting for the final guidance notes from the Government, these will not change the clear and unambiguous requirement for the first page of the EPC to be attached to the property particulars.
“We are sure that the relevant trade bodies representing the estate agency industry will have been advising their members accordingly.
“PEPA and its members have been preparing for these changes for many months, and the new regulations will have a significant impact on the energy professionals who produce EPCs.
“Domestic Energy Assessors are required to complete and pass a further training module if they wish to continue producing EPCs beyond April 6, and more than enough DEAs will be qualified by the deadline.
“Our members have also taken the necessary steps to ensure they will be able to produce the new-style EPC in the revised, shortened time period, when the new regulations come into force next month.
“The changes are being introduced to allow consumers to make a more informed decision about the future property they may purchase or rent, while helping to improve the energy efficiency of our buildings.
“Research has proved that 15% of consumers seeing an EPC will implement at least one of the recommendations that it contains to improve energy efficiency and to save on their bills.
“We believe there has been adequate time for all parties to prepare for these changes and it is important that we now all work together to embrace the new regulations and the positive impact they could have in terms of reducing the UK’s carbon emissions.”
Comments
I can just see the marketing boys at Haart rubbing their hands together with glee.
They will await all those EPC's, copy and pasted, to filter onto the internet via portals. Once there they can get those addresses of Vendors and set the infamous Lesley Miller to work with the hand written notes to call them.
Countrywide, LSL, Connels will be right on their heels too. It will cut out a lot of their touting legwork.
I bet they cant wait.
Who thought up this inspired stupidity?
Forget green its a nice to do, not a must. Let the rest of the world worry about it,. Look at Japan.
Stand back the Halifax House price reportn is out for Feb, here come the HPC nutters by the boat load, Twit 1234 idiot Dave etc.
But that is the point the Degree Day cost of improving one's own property does not make financial sense.
It might make sense to a landlord who can off set the cost against tax, but tenants will pay. So either way there is no conceived benefit to the people who have to live in the properties.
As third world population problems will not be solved by a bit of paper saying how bad too many babies are for the country. Our energy debt is not going to solved by a bit of paper which shows how innefficient our homes are.
If the Government as serious about this green deal find a 5 year solution rather than one which will take a minimum 18 years to have any sort of significant impact on the carbon footprint of the country.
Big Ted- thats great, can you tell me where I can buy that boiler and fitted for £1500 please? Sounds a bargain.
@ @Big Ted (if you follow)
That is the Governments point on this, the property I described is using way more gas (carbon) than is necessary. The tenant is paying more than necessary, the carbon footprint is larger than necessary.
A few simple changes, boiler (£1500), insulation (free) and the carbon footprint and costs are down long term.
As gas prices rise, without the changes being implemented, the tenant will be worse off each year.
So which Chelsea tractor do you own?
Just for kick off – im ready for this change, not that bothered and I have posted here last week how adaptable the EA industry is so I won’t do all that again.
What I want is Jonnie & Co to have an EPC done on it – get someone in and go through all the stuff we do, I know I will do quite well.
Ive got a (very) small fleet of cars that do god knows MPG but really low – low energy bulbs in the loo, recycling bins, a special place for used printer cartridges, paper from a ‘sustainable source’ which I think means Amazonian tribes don’t get made homeless, the monitors on the computers say they are eco something, we switch all the lights off at night and I had a new boiler that is the size of a fag packet installed last year that im told more or less breathes flowers out the spout and uses so little gas a canary wouldn’t so much as get a headache if it flew up the pipe.
So, I think as a business goes we are doing our bit and this on top of the fact that im a recycling bore at home and do the bottle bank thing as well, my car is made in Solihull rather than the other side of the world and shipped here and the Lamb on Sunday came from a farm shop 5 miles away rather than New Zealand, I can sleep easy that im a pretty eco friendly chap.
……………that is until my business is required to spew out tons of paper, printer consumables and so on in the name of energy efficiency!
So in the name of common sense I propose that the government outlaw all printed material from EA’s instead, make it the law that everyone has a smart phone / computer (which all EA’s can send data to already) and don’t drive through wasteful ineffective changes that don’t help the very cause they are designed to help
Whos with me?
Jonnie
What is the rental figure of the property and how does it compare with an indentical one with DG, Insulation and a new boiler?
Lets guess £100 pcm?
New boiler £2500, DG, £3000, insulation £500. Ok 5 years to recoup the capital investment at the new rent. Ok seems fair.
What are the energy savings for the tenant Ted? more than £100 pcm? Yeah right!
I was with a client yesterday, end terrace rental property.
No wall insulation, zero loft insulation, ancient central heating boiler.Just had his quarterly gas bill £650.
An efficient boiler and free loft and wall insulation can pretty much halve that bill. Personally I think that outweighs 10p for a photocopy.
Ok, it is a pain but it is part of a bigger picture, I know EAs won't like it but it will be forced on you, more so when the Green Deal kicks in.
The amount of waste and energy used to produce this extra unnecessary sheet of paper to attach to property details is hardly going to improve the UK carbon footprint!!
Are we sure the date is not 1 April and and this story an early joke?
Seka love, the Dezrez boys have mobile phone video of the show you put on in the Hilton Foyer! Don't come here saying it never happened.
"The Green Deal EPC will enable home owners/ building occupiers to access £1000s of Green Deal Finance to install the EPC energy efficiency recommendations.
This includes New Boilers, Solar Panels, Insulation, Biomas Boilers, GSHP, Micro CHP and much more"
Oh grrrreat. The UK has enormous deficit and national debt, but the Gov are urinating away even more taxpayers' money on this rubbish.
The UK is dead meat.
Mummy Pig -Have we failed as parents? it seems that Pepa Pig has not got a clue about Degree Day economics.
Where I live the degree day calculation shows that it will only take 33 years to save enough energy to justify ripping out single glazing and putting in the very best K glass double glazing for £3000.
Replacing 5 year old Double glazing with the latest stuff means that I will be older than a Giant Sequoia before the energy saving is worth while.
All this eco tosh was a way for Bliar and Brown to employ all those students with soft degrees from CoFE universities. Assuming we are all as thick as themselves they have overlooked why the public could not give a stuff about energy saving. The cost of being green is not worth while.
http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/cut-carbon-reduce-costs/calculate/energy-metering-monitoring/pages/degree-days.aspx
For the record, I have never worked with Mike O. It was bad enough working with Ron Jeremy...
I girl has to have SOME standards.
What I cannot understand is why the RICS and NFoPP are not more pro-active in this matter? They are paid, at least in part, to strongly put the views of anything that affects all members. It would seem that the officers are content to be “invited” to participate in “consultation meetings” with accommodation, meals, expenses provided?. At the same time enjoying above average salaries, pension provision and holidays – all paid for by the members. This would all be acceptable, if we saw some real positive results in respect of the members on the “coal face” and their genuine concerns.
In my view and the view of many is that the EPC graph is enough in the first instance, with a note that a full report is available at any time on request and which would in any case be provided at the time of an offer being negotiated. Prospective purchasers will always view/consider a property that interests them, EPC or not, human nature.
What is wrong with somrthing like that? If there is, explanations gratefully accepted – especially from RICS and/or NFoPP.
Maths may not be my strong point, but it looks to me as though this fatuous bit of so-called "research" actually proves that 85% of people won't implement a single one of the EPC recommendations! When, oh when will we finally see the back of the utterly ridiculous Ockenden?
The answer is to attach just a link to this wonderful summary page. I have designed a little button to go on all my printed details,it says
'Click here if you want a copy of EPC Summary. If nothing happens within 5 seconds, speak to a member of staff who will gladly give you a copy.'
In trials it has worked well.
Alan Lucas appears in chinos, a slightly faded linen jacket and Hush Puppies. Peering over the top of his Grauniad he attempts a typical lefty jibe, Sigh!
"10?" being the buzz eco topic of the morning. What’s all that about Alan? Would that be Carolyn McCall's Power of 10? You know the one, 10 Execs each drive 10 miles from the same office to the same meeting in 10 big cars that all do 10 MPG?
What will you read when the Grauniad runs out of cash and reserves in an estimated (but eagerly awaited) 1585 days?
Isn't bit chilly to be sat outside that Bohemian Cafe sipping an Espresso? Go inside mate the fire is on!
“Research has proved that 15% of consumers seeing an EPC will implement at least one of the recommendations that it contains to improve energy efficiency and to save on their bills.'
Easy to say Mike. Please show us where we can analyse this research!!
Utter tosh and a complete waste of time and money. I would urge Mike to spend a day in a City centre office of a sales and lettings agency and actually monitor how many people even look at the EPC graph, let alone ask to see the document. Of course we'll get some rbbish about 'educating the public' to the use of EPC's. Aren't we then just going back to Labour style 'Big Government'? A joke!
10? 10? WOW! Is that going to break the bank or what, Rebel! Makes me think you've got short arms and deep pockets. Typical of agents! You like to put yourselves over as being super-professionals. Sales reps by any other name! This is all about trying to combat global warming and climate change - which is ok, so long as it doesn't cost you 10p. SALES REPS! You could be selling used cars next week. Professionals? Yeah, right.
I'm with you Rebel.
AND what damned research?
Where are the results?
How many were consulted?
What part of the country was researched?
You only have to look at adverts on the one eyed monster to see that only a limited number are approached and the researchers can cut off researching further when they have the result they want as research can prove anything.
Oh dear! Mike Ockenden has risen, again..
It costs me 10p to print a one sided sheet of colour A4 -paper, ink, printer consumables, energy.
I am not going to observe this crazy instruction.
F**k the Government, f**k the EU, and f**k Guardian readers everywhere.
Fat glomp Eric Pickles should be ashamed.
What a load of nonsense fron the authorities they are either doing it or nor announce something and give every agent a few quid towards costs for paper, websites, etc simple.