Building & Design

A new report by the UK Energy Research Centre points to serious shortcomings in the UK Government’s Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs).

Since December 2007, all domestic properties put up for sale have been required to have an EPC, as part of their Home Information Pack (HIP).

However, the report from the UKERC, Implementation of Energy Performance Certificates in the Domestic Sector, indicates that the scheme is not driving an improvement in energy efficiency as effectively as it could.

Although legislation states that the EPC should be made available as soon as a property is marketed, the UKERC report reveals that estate agents are not making the information readily available to potential buyers. In fact, buyers may never even see a copy of the EPC.

Estate agent’s particulars are often not including details of the EPC or failing to give a clear indication of a building’s energy consumption.

The software used to calculate the energy efficiency performance of buildings could also be improved in some places, says the report. In particular, it underestimates the benefits of low-energy lighting, solar water heaters and microgeneration technologies.

The EPC also fails to highlight the most inefficient and the most efficient homes adequately, says the UKERC report.

“The EPCs are an important tool for improving the energy efficiency of our homes,” says Nick Eyre of the UKERC, “but there have been some implementations problems in the early months.”

Estate agents and solicitors, in particular, are failing to ensure that homebuyers see and understand the EPC. The UKERC study is calling for additional training for these groups to ensure that the EPCs are working as they should.

For further information:
www.ukerc.ac.uk/Downloads/PDF/08/010808EPCsreport.pdf
www.ukerc.ac.uk
campaigns.direct.gov.uk/epc/
www.homeinformationpacks.gov.uk/