propertytalk Live! - Group calls for EPC's on property sales particulars before issue

propertytalk Live! - Group calls for EPC's on property sales particulars before issue

The Property and Energy Professionals Association (PEPA) is calling for the inclusion of EPC graphs on all Sales Particulars of properties for sale before they can be issued, through a revision to the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD).

Since the suspension of HIPs there has been a significant increase in the level of non-compliance with the revised EPBD Regulations.

Some estate agents are ignoring their legal duty to ensure a valid EPC is available when properties are listed for sale. Even those that are procuring EPCs are, in the majority of cases, ignoring the existing requirement to include the EPC graph in the sales particulars once the EPC is available.

Surveys by PEPA members suggest that non-compliance with the requirement to procure an EPC is now over 30% and rising and the EPC graph is shown on only a third of Sales Particulars.

As a result, EPCs are not being seen by prospective home buyers and energy efficiency is simply being pushed off the agenda when it comes to the purchasing decision. This undermines the Coalition Government’s policies on reducing energy waste.