New Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Law from 1st October 2008

Posted: 30 Sep 2008 10:50:00 GMT

All properties for sale or to let require an EPC from 1st October 2008 in England and Wales.

From the 1st October all properties on the market for sale or to let will require an Energy Performance Certificate by law in England and Wales.

Most sellers will already have an EPC as part of their Home Information Pack (HIP) so will have nothing more to do. However, those sellers who have been marketing before HIPs were introduced and did not require a HIP, will need to purchase an EPC or face a fine. Exempt sellers still do not require the HIP but do require the EPC.

Landlords will only require an Energy Performance Certificate for properties being marketed for rent from 1st October. Properties which already have a tenant before 1st October will not require an EPC until the property is available for rent at a later date. The EPC is only required for properties that are self contained, and is valid for 10 years.

Energy Performance Certificates are part of a European law to make consumers more aware of how green a building is. An EPC has two ratings. The Energy Efficiency rating which measures how efficient a building is, and the Environmental Impact rating detailing the CO2 impact.

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