Now your EPC is just a click away
A new digital service to help homeowners improve the energy performance of their homes and cut their energy bills has just been launched by the Housing Minister Christopher Pincher.
The idea is to make it easier for landlords and homeowners wanting to buy or sell their property to find an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) assessor. But it’s not all about sales. EPCs are also a really useful tool for helping improve the energy performance of buildings. The Government estimates that by making better use of them, property owners could save around £600 a year each by making improvements such as increasing insulation, or installing double glazing or low-carbon heating.
Buildings are responsible for around 40% of the UK’s energy consumption and carbon emissions. The way our homes are lit, heated and used makes a huge difference to our carbon footprint, so we've all got a part to play in tackling climate change just by the way we behave at home.
So the message is that EPCs are a good thing for homeowners but how do you go about getting one? The answer is that a new online register has been set up in the form of a website that gives easy access to information on more than 27 million energy assessments. It means residents and landlords can easily find an EPC assessor in their area so they can get their own EPC - and hopefully then take action to improve the energy performance of their property.
In tandem with the Green Homes Grant there is a big push going on to help us all get to grips with energy efficiency - and help us pay for it. Whether or not any of this will hit home with property owners is another question altogether, so the Government needs to really push and publicise both these initiatives if it is going to meet its target of net zero emissions by 2050.
Planetrent Properties
Under Offer: This term applies to a property where the landlord is considering an offer but remains on the market. It implies that further offers may still be considered until the landlord formally accepts or declines the current offer.
Let Agreed: This term indicates that a landlord has provisionally agreed to enter into a rental agreement with a prospective tenant, pending additional checks and referencing. It doesn't require the prospective tenant to have paid a holding deposit.
Let: This term signifies an established binding rental agreement between the landlord and tenant.
For both lettings and sales, the guidance addresses additional terms:
New On The Market: This term is used for a property not advertised since its last sale or rental. It should only be used for a brief period.
New Instruction: It applies to a property assigned to an agent for marketing recently, even if it was previously listed with another agent without being sold or rented.
New and Exclusive: This term refers to a property that is either new on the market or a new instruction, exclusively available through a specific agent or portal.
New Method of Sale/Let: This term is used when a property is being marketed for sale or rent using an alternative approach to the original advertisement, such as transitioning to an auction or sealed bid.
Reduced: This term indicates that a property's price has recently been reduced. The reduction should be genuine and comply with the Chartered Trading Standards Institute's guidelines on pricing practices.