The Government appears to have been convinced that Energy Performance Certificates need beefing up as the result of a consultation to which there were only around 100 replies.
New rules are to be passed in April and are set to come into force between then and July, which will require agents to produce an EPC within seven days of marketing, and to attach the full report to ‘all marketing’.
On Friday afternoon, a joint letter was sent out to thank those who had taken part in the consultation, held by Communities and Local Government and the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).
The letter, signed by Andrew Stunnell and Lord Marland, Under Secretaries at their respective departments, says: “The overwhelming view of respondents was that change was needed to all aspects of the Energy Performance of Buildings framework.
“In the domestic sector, while the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) was generally seen as an important trigger for consumers to implement energy efficiency measures, your responses confirmed that this opportunity is often missed.
“A more tailored report and stronger training, accreditation and enforcement regimes were all highlighted as key issues.”
CLG has yet to make any comment on the changes to EPCs, but has been speaking to providers.
In response to questions from EAT, the DECC said that there had been over 100 responses to what had been an 'informal' consultation. The spokeswoman could not say where the responses came from, but said that some of the ideas arising from it would now be looked at closely with a view to taking them forward.
Comments
Why bother "beefing up" EPCs, when in the commercial sector less than 20% vendors bother even getting one... And when you ask about air conditioning asessments - duck!
When there is more adequate policing of these, rather than increasing the audit, and adding rules that clearly have not been thought through by anyone with a brain, THEN we will be getting somewhere.
To those who ask what do the other EU countries do - answer - nothing! I was in Spain recently, and no-one even knew there was any EPBD...
seloger.com - French Portal, they seem to all display EPC results. Can't be that difficult.
The legilsation is that a FREE. EPC must be provided to a buyer or tenant.
Does anyone know if we can charge to send out EPC`s....that way I bet the requests for a copy will be Zero (which they are anyway).
Also, surely there is a Data Protection issue here as the full EPC has details of the property owner clearly displayed? A welcome tool to all those Agents wanting to directly canvass their competitors property!
El Burro you beat me to it. I wish persons who want to have a dig at estate agents kept off this site.
The remarks made, "shot yourself in the foot". The legislation planned is that the FULL REPORT must be attached to all marketing. An email is "not an attached" to sales brochure when it can't be emailed. Nor is it when it is on display on an agents office shelf. Get the blinkers off please.
As for your £30 DEA fee, your stupid to agree to do it for that and that is why your paid peanuts, made a rod for your own back I do believe.
Memo to frustrated DEA and Seamus Heaney (presumably another frustrated DEA), did you actually read the story or just pick out a few words (you're used to looking at EP reports where only a few lines are of any use aren't you).
The point is the 'all marketing' bit.
There isn't a problem emailing details but it may have slipped under your radar that not everyone has or wants to provide an email address.
And pray tell me how I attach a 5 or 6 page report to each of the 20 plus properties I advertise in the local rag?
The boards aren't a problem, I'll just get our junior to go round and attach them to the post using a drawing pin.....oh, can't do that, Health & Safety!
Nothing has changed only 7 days instead of 28. you were ment to show the EPC anyway!!!
just attach a link in the sales particulars to the agents website with the full EPC on the website. if the client wants to print it they can.
the whole point of an EPC is to inform the client how they can improve the home and save energy and therefore save fuel and have lower bills. if you dont want to save money, then leave the house as it is. it is an information document and without tthe whole document the graphs mean nothing as the purchaser cant see what improvements could be made.
would you buy a car just by driving it, or would you ask for the fuel consumption and technical spec? just because estate agents cant be bothered to do their job properly - seeing as most DEA's get £30 for doing the job and the estate agents charge £200 for an EPC for putting a graph on a piece of paper, I think its about time they did something for their pound of flesh.
Anon Loony Man,
You said the following
‘’As soon as this swings into action I'm going to regularly email agents and request details of houses, just to give them something to do. I'm sure they won't mind paying the postage of all those epc details they'll be sending to a random address.
Perhaps we could all do this and get royal mail back into profitability ......’’
…………….You poor soul, a life as empty as you own head, do you really want to waste your life trying to waste that of estate agents.
There has to be something more you can plan to use your time on, there has to be a cause better than this to fill your time.
Try HPC, you can spend lots of time there and you might get that ‘I hate estate agents’ itch scratched or spend more time with your family or something.
Jonnie
What a bunch of moaners you all are!
EPCs provide useful information, that's it! No obligation. Don't go to the expense of printing them out, simply email a PDF to your potential buyers or tenants.
Recognise you the agent have a legal obligation to OFFER the document, not wait to be asked by the non professional buyer/tenant.
Virtually all UK homes need improving, stop moaning and think to yourselves about opportunities.
Good luck!
Al - "At the moment most people seem to be more aware of the mpg of their car. Improving houses would save them more than enough to spend the extra on car fuel."
Many of the properties we sell are Georgian and listed. No-one ever wants these properties for their energy efficiency which is just as well as they have buckley's chance of having double glazing or solar panels, nor will listed thatched cottages (which is the daftest recommendation I've seen so far). Even installing secondary glazing around these parts is tantamount to heresy.
I seem to remember there was a get out clause under the 2004 Housing Act over implementation being achievable, practicable, workable???? and High Court rulings over implementaions within the spirit of the original legislation. I suspect just like HMO's which some councils have hijacked to their own end, this will follow, lining the pockets of pro EPC industry.
I will not be wasting the paper and will certainly not be attaching them to our details.
The graph is sufficient enough on details and if somebody wants the full 6 pages they can have it emailed to them.
Government Cows - EPC
They guff in your face!
As soon as this swings into action I'm going to regularly email agents and request details of houses, just to give them something to do. I'm sure they won't mind paying the postage of all those epc details they'll be sending to a random address.
Perhaps we could all do this and get royal mail back into profitability ......
Where is the RICS, NAEA, NFoPP or ARLA responses to this? As usual if there is a response it will probably be a luke warm sit -on- the- fence and too late?
Just goto RMs overseas property section and try and find an EPC anywhere.
I was in Brussels recently. Not one EPC in any agents window.
Then we went to a bar in the centre where Euro MPs were drinking brandy - measures free poured - not an optic in sight.
I wonder whether the whole euro - red tape is just ONE big practical joke on the UK.
Not workable. A beuroctaric farce as was HIPs. Yes argue the plus side but the negative outways that. It cost more pollution to produce said report than it does on ACTUAL savings, forget predictions it isn't happening. Solid brick properties are not going all out to be "Kingspan" on the outside or inside for that matter. I haven't met anyone whos changed their boiler unless it packs up, same for windows and as for mercury filled low energy lights, they cause more pollution to dispose off than save minimal electricity bills. Again the market doesn't want them just like HIPs and were talking buyer and seller in general, not the industry.
It will be a costly and in some cases not achieveable to add full reports to marketing. Everything will go up in costs, stationary, printing, postage etc etc. 50 copies for example to find one buyer who isn't the slightest bit interested (unless their "green") is a waste and pollution generating 5 fold, just like the EU butter mountains!
As for tightening up on EPC's I see that new auditors have moved into the system to check on DEA's and failing audits for reasons that a DEA doesn't have to comply to! I thought we were cutting down on waste or does that only apply to the public sector.
al: "I know that typically the annual average heating cost for a small terrace house can be well over £1000, sometimes £1300 or more. This does not include heating the water. If these houses were improved to the best standard of "passive house" the typical cost would be £66 per year."
Erm... I am pretty much certain that it is NOT POSSIBLE to bring yer average terraced house up to Passive House Standard. Getting one to rate 'C' on the fridge scale would, in most cases, be var-nigh constructionally impossible, never mind financially impractical!
Sixty six quid for a year's heating costs? You're sniffing FAR too much Co2, mate!
more insane bureacracy. i thought we just got rid of zanuLabour!
And what would the 'typical' cost be of getting it to that standard Al, bearing in mind a lot of properties in my area were built 80 to 100 years ago?
The imeldaM comment, that "nobody has ever asked to see one" just illustrates why the change is coming in. The EPC is not meant to be "asked for" it is meant to be offered to potential purchasers. The following is pasted from your own 22/9/08 edition:
The FULL EPC must be made available for any home, free of charge, to a prospective buyer from October 1, 2008, at the earliest opportunity and in any event where any of the following events happens:
x when the building is viewed (even if that means providing the EPC before any written information is provided)
x if any written information about the building is provided as a result of a request by a prospective purchaser
x before contracts are exchanged.
As an assessor who carries out various kind of energy assessments and ratings I know that typically the annual average heating cost for a small terrace house can be well over £1000, sometimes £1300 or more. This does not include heating the water. If these houses were improved to the best standard of "passive house" the typical cost would be £66 per year. That is why the Energy Performance Certificate needs taking note of. At the moment most people seem to be more aware of the mpg of their car. Improving houses would save them more than enough to spend the extra on car fuel.
Many of our property details only run to 2 pages because of the EPC. The full report will take even a basic property to 8 pages.
Newspaper ad scenario also occurred to me. It'll please the newspapers, you'll get one property to a page if you are lucky so each property section will be the thickness of the Encyclopaedia Britannica!
Hope none of you smoke...the 'Smoking Kills' warning on a packet won't be enough, it'll be accompanied by a 120 page report from the Chief Medical Officer complete with graphs (of course) and all those pictures of lungs that resemble kippers!!
Happy days.......
..........the DECC said that there had been over 100 responses to what had been an 'informal' consultation...............
Just who were these 'informal' responses from?? DEA trainers and firms who wish to expand the whole thing for their own benfit?? Why will they not say who??
So this is 'open' government!!
Yet another stitch-up by vested interests to a susceptable DLG. If they took the trouble to consult tthe 'front line' they would know that In INITIAL marketing the graph is more than eneough.
I understand, i may be wrong, that EPC's stemmed from an EU directive. So what do the french estate agents do I wonder? I've no idea but no doubt someone with more time on their hands will enlightn us.
Does this include marketing in 65,000-120,000 ciculation local papers? Think not!!
What about lettings?
Agree with Suffolk agent; great for the environment!!
Unless the Government turn their attention to mortgage supply and affordability we will drown in paper from unsold properties. Nice one, Brussells.
And the point is what? As nobody has ever, ever, asked to see one!
Do I have to attache a full copy of the EPC to my for sale board? is that not marketing?
good news.......... my printer just broke
So we may soon have to attach the full 5 page EPC to all property details mailed out - that's more resources and more paper - where does paper come from? - trees - what do fewer trees mean for the environment? - more CO2 !! - do politicians ever think things through? - answers on even more paper to 10 Downing St please !