8
May
2008
Home Information Packs – benefiting consumers
The Government today announced a package of measures to help ensure consumers are seeing the vital information in Home Information Packs and are receiving a higher standard of service in the home buying and selling process.
The new measures include: developing a new set of standards with industry on what consumers should expect from property professionals in the home buying and selling process; further building on the quality of information in the packs; working with industry to ensure that consumers are fully seeing and benefiting from the HIP, including the EPC, early in the process; extending until the end of the year the provisions enabling consumers to market their home as long as they have ordered and committed to pay for a HIP, and the provision requiring the lease to be included in the HIP for leasehold properties.
The latest figures on HIPs show that consumers are already benefiting from the introduction of Home Information Packs. More than 700,000 homes now have energy ratings as a result of HIPs, helping home owners to save money on their fuel bills and cut carbon emissions. Greater competition in the property searches market is also leading to reductions in costs with some local authorities reducing their search fees by up to £120.
Housing Minister Caroline Flint said:
“Home Information Packs are already bringing benefits to consumers. Property search costs are falling and new information on energy efficiency can help cut carbon emissions and enable prospective purchasers to get a better idea of the likely costs of energy bills.
“But we want to do more to improve the HIP and the home buying and selling process for consumers. Developing a new set of standards for industry is an important next step in further ensuring all consumers get the highest quality of service when buying or selling a home. We also want to ensure all consumers are seeing the vital information in a HIP early in the process so they can fully benefit.
“Alongside the development of a new industry code, we will continue to work with the industry to promote higher and consistent standards of practice on the delivery of HIPs.”
Today’s announcement includes:
Work to develop a new set of standards for industry involving leading bodies such as the RICS, NAEA, and the Law Society. This aims to bring together best practice within the industry into a single set of standards that all consumers can expect from property professionals in the home buying and selling process, including redress arrangements, the provision of Home Information Packs and delivery of local searches.
Work with the industry to ensure that agents and HIP providers understand and act on the requirement to prepare the HIP as soon as the EPC is produced, so that it is available to potential buyers early in the process.
Develop in partnership with the property professionals, the means for capturing consumer friendly information for inclusion within the HIP, such as property fixtures and fittings, access and boundries. This will draw on the lessons learnt from our Area Trials.
28
Sep
2007
Green findings – Energy Performance Certificates and Home Information Packs
Average four bedroom homes are getting an ´E´ energy rating, according to a survey from the introduction of Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and Home Information Packs (HIPs).
New information six weeks after the launch of EPCs and HIPs, shows that average four bedroom homes and above could save hundreds of pounds off heating, lighting, and water bills.
Most homes are receiving an ´E´ rating in their EPCs on the A-G scale, but could this could potentially rise to a ´C´ if consumers undertake measures recommended in the certificates, such as loft and cavity wall insulation.
The Government is today extending EPCs and HIPs to three bedroom homes so more buyers will get the same information to cut carbon emissions and reduce fuel bills.
The early findings come from a snapshot survey of energy assessors and EPCs provided since the launch of HIPs, which show average 4 bedroom homes are being rated ´E´ and could typically save £180 on heating, £60 on lighting and £30 on hot water bills, a year.
The top 5 recommendations given by assessors for improving energy efficiency have been: cavity wall insulation, changing to low energy lighting, putting thermostatic valves on radiators, loft insulation, and double glazing.
The introduction HIPs is already starting to reduce costs and improve transparency in the housing market. More than 85 local authorities have reduced their search costs, in some cases by more than £100.
The average pack is taking around 5 days to compile, with major estate agents charging in the region of £300 plus VAT for a HIP, on an upfront or deferred basis – £200 to £250 of which is already paid under the current system.
Communities Minister Iain Wright said:
“Families buying four bedroom homes are getting clear information which shows how they can save hundreds of pounds on their fuel bills and cut carbon emissions too. It is important that this should be available for people buying three bedroom homes as well.”
Typical ´green grants´ of £100 to £300 for energy saving improvements like loft insulation are available to many home owners from energy suppliers as part of their legal obligations introduced by government to improve energy efficiency. Consumers can now access details of green grants and offers by tapping in their postcode on the Energy Saving Trust´s website.
Energy suppliers are also providing direct information about grants to home buyers when they sign up to an energy contract.
14
Jun
2007
Communities and Local Government News Release 2006/0028
Energy ratings similar to consumer-friendly fridge ratings will have to be produced for every home bought and sold in England and Wales from next June, the Government announced today.
Housing Minister Yvette Cooper today launched the new Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) which will be an essential part of the Home Information Packs to be introduced next year.
The certificates will give home buyers and sellers A to G ratings for their home’s energy efficiency and carbon emissions. They will tell them current average costs for heating, hot water and lighting in their home as well as how to cut costs with energy efficiency measures.
The reports, prepared by qualified home inspectors, will advise consumers on which energy measures – ranging from thicker loft insulation right through to solar panels – could cut carbon emissions from their home and improve their energy rating.
Yvette Cooper said
“Given the growing challenge from climate change and rising energy costs, I think people should be entitled to this kind of information about the home they buy. You can get this kind of consumer information on fridges and washing machines, so why not on a home where the emissions – and the savings – are so much greater?
11
Jun
2007
Regulations laid to deliver EPCs and HIP´s
The Government today laid the revised regulations necessary to deliver Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and Home Information (HIPs) into the housing market on 1 August.
As announced last month, EPCs and HIPs will be phased in starting with four bedroom homes and larger properties – rolling out to other sized properties once sufficient energy inspectors are in place nationally and regionally to meet demand, taking into account market conditions and evidence from implementation.
We expect to need 2,000 accredited assessors and inspectors to introduce EPCs and HIPs to three bedroom homes, with a total of 3,000 needed to cover the whole market. We believe these are prudent figures that will ensure the smoothest possible implementation.
Latest figures supplied by accreditation agencies show there are currently over 1,000 accredited energy assessors and homes inspectors. This is above the threshold needed to introduce HIPs on August 1 for four bedroom homes and larger. More than 4,700 assessors and inspectors have passed their training exams.