August 1^st  2007 sees the introduction of Home Information Packs. Initially homeowners of four bedroom houses and above  wishing to sell their homes will be required to provide a Home Information Pack (HIP) to greatly improve the buying and selling process.

Energy Performance Certificates (EPC’s) will form a major part of the HIP. This report gives home buyers and sellers A to G ratings for their homes’ energy efficiency and carbon emissions. EPC’s will clearly show how consumers can improve the rating through a variety of low and higher cost efficiency measures.
The requirement for EPC’s has been set by the European Union, driven through by the current British Government and aims to help cut emissions and drive energy efficiency in all homes across Europe.

How is an Energy Performance Certificate put together?
A Domestic Energy Assessor will visit the property to gather and record a variety of different pieces of information affecting the energy efficiency of the home. Property construction, loft insulation depth, window types and much more will aid in building an accurate picture of the overall energy efficiency of the property. The data collected  is then inputted into an  Energy Assessment computer programme which then generates an energy efficiency report