News story

HIPs suspended

The use of HIPs has been suspended by the Government save for the Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) element. Sellers will therefore still be required to commission, but won't need to have received, an EPC before marketing their property. The Government has also laid before Parliament the Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2010 which introduce a number of new requirements including:

• a new duty on the seller to secure that an energy performance certificate (EPC) has been commissioned before marketing of the property commences where no such certificate is already available 
• an EPC has been commissioned when a Domestic Energy Assessor has been instructed to prepare the EPC and the EPC has either been paid for or has given a clear undertaking to pay for it 
• a new duty on the person acting on behalf of the seller to be satisfied that an EPC has been commissioned before commencing marketing 
• a new duty on both the seller and a person acting on their behalf to make reasonable efforts to secure an EPC within 28 days 
• all of the new duties carry fixed penalties where somebody fails in the duty conferred on them by the new regulations

(News story added: 20 May 2010)