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Could Brexit mark the end of Energy Performance Certificates?

Christina Hoghton
Written By:
Christina Hoghton
Posted:
Updated:
11/07/2016

EPCs were introduced because an EU Directive, and now some industry figures think they could, and should, be scrapped

A Parliamentary petition has been set up to scrap Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) when the UK leaves the European Union.

EPCs were launched in 2007 and anyone selling, or letting, their property must ensure that an energy assessment is made, and a certificate produced before the property can be marketed or advertised for sale or let. The EPC gives potential buyers or tenants information on the energy efficiency of a property and how it could be improved.

This is estimated to cost up to £100m a year to home sellers and landlords, and was introduced as a consequence of the European Union Directive on the energy performance of buildings.

But the founder of online estate agent eMoov, Russell Quirk, has set up the petition to get the EPCs scrapped as soon as possible.

He argued that the energy rating on the certificate is of little help to either buyer or seller and has not proven to reduce energy consumption, as was the intention.

Quirk said he wants to bring about the scrapping of these ‘pointless pieces of bureaucratic wastefulness’, to streamline the home moving process and save the country millions of pounds.

He said: “I have launched this national petition in order to get rid of EPCs and the unnecessary cost to the consumer of paying for them. When introduced as part of the failed Home Information Pack in 2007 they were widely criticised as pointless and wasteful by the property industry.

“Thousands of inspectors have had to be trained and then re-trained under adapted legislation, forced upon us by an EU directive that, now that we have voted for Brexit, can be unwound. EPCs are of no benefit to anyone and have created a bureaucratic burden on home sellers, landlords and estate agents.”

If 100,000 signatures are achieved this would mean that Parliament has to debate the issue.