Sep

BREAKING: Government launches MOT-style service for property EPCs

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The government has today announced a significant shake-up of the Environment Performance Certificate (EPC) system in England and Wales.

Housing minister Christopher Pincher has launch an online service to improve the energy efficiency of people’s homes as the government bids to achieve its ‘net zero emissions’ target by 2050.

This is in effect a ‘green MOT’ for homes and will make it much easier for sales and letting agents and homeowners to find out if a property has a valid certificate, and create one if it does not.

Like other government services including MOT certificates and Road Tax, the energy certificates will now exist as a web page making it easier for EPC assessors to share a certificate with estate agents simply by emailing a web page instead of a file.

“This makes it far easier for citizens and property professionals to store, view and share this vital information,” says Pincher (left).

Timothy Douglas, Policy and Campaigns Manager: “On the face of it these proposals simply do not take into account the state of the UK’s housing stock.

“We all want to see more energy efficient homes, but the new rules and requirements must be realistic and achievable.

“Landlords and their letting agents are already taking the brunt of tax changes and many are providing support to tenants with Covid related arrears.

“A simplified exemptions regime and additional financial support must be made available otherwise the measures in their current form, will not be achievable and that would mean further reductions in the supply of rented accommodation available.”

Visit the new government EPC site.

Read our guide to EPCs.

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