Home Information Packs (HIPs) have been abolished by the Government. Any property marketed from 21st May 2010 will only require an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). Up to the minute information can be found on the Government web site.
What is an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)?
The purpose of an Energy Performance Certificate is to record and show how energy-efficient a property is. Shwon as a chart, it uses a similar rating system to ratings provided with domestic appliances, for example, washing machines and fridges and freezers.
The certificate will provide a rating of the property from A to G, where A is very efficient and G is very inefficient.
Two ratings are shown.The energy-efficiency rating is a measure of a home's overall efficiency. The higher the rating, the more energy-efficient the home is, and the lower the fuel bills are likely to be. The environmental impact rating is a measure of a home's impact on the environment in terms of carbon dioxide (C02) emissions - the higher the rating, the less impact it has on the environment.
Each rating is based on the performance of the building and its services (such as heating and lighting), not the domestic appliances within the property. This is known as an asset rating. The certificate lists the potential rating of the building if all the cost-effective measures were installed.
There are a number of factors than affect the ratings, such as ratings will vary according to the age, location, size and condition of the building. The potential rating shown on the certificate take these factors into account, and the suggested tailored measures so that they are realistic for the particular building.
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