Home Information Packs
1 June 2007 role out date

If you're buying or selling a home from 1 June 2007, you will need to know about Home Information Packs (HIP). Sellers must receive a HIP before they put their property onto the market. The HIP for buyers will offer essential information about the property they wish to purchase, for free.

A HIP contains:
An Energy Performance Certificate which tells you how energy efficient the property is

Other compulsory documents, such as an index of contents, a sale statement, searches and evidence of title
Optional documents, such as the Home Condition Report

Get a HIP before 1 June
You don't have to wait until 1 June to get a HIP. Since November 2005, as part of our national voluntary dry-run, over 100 organisations have signed up, and more than 20,000 HIPs have been produced across England and Wales.
What's in a HIP?

The HIP contains important information that buyers and sellers need to know. From 1 June 2007, anyone marketing a property, or their representative, will be legally required to have a HIP and make it available to potential buyers of the property.

For sellers, providing a HIP upfront should reduce the likelihood of any nasty surprises in the selling process that could delay the sale, as buyers will be able to make more informed decisions about purchasing their home.
For buyers, the HIP provides essential information about properties they are considering buying, free of charge.

Energy performance certificates and your home
If you're buying a home after 1 June 2007, you can expect to find an Energy Performance Certificate as part of the HIP for the house you're considering buying.

The certificates are commissioned by the seller (or their agent) from an accredited Energy Assessor, who visits the property to collect the relevant data and creates the certificate. This data includes the date, construction and location of the house and relevant fittings (heating systems, insulation or double glazing, for example).

How to make your property more energy efficient
Improving the energy efficiency of your property can mean either making changes to the building, or simply changing your behaviour to save energy. Energy Performance Certificates will give you advice on both of these areas.
Installing energy-efficient measures

Here is a list of some of the measures that the certificate might recommend:
Low-energy light bulbs. These last up to 12 times longer and use around 80 per cent less energy than traditional filament bulbs

Hot water tank jackets. These cost from around £10, and can cut heat loss by around 75 per cent

Loft insulation. Fitting insulation that is at least 250mm thick could cut heat loss by around 30 per cent

Cavity wall insulation. If you have unfilled cavity walls, installing insulation could cut heat loss by over 30 per cent.

The cost of the measures recommended will vary, but the certificate will distinguish between those that cost under £500 (such as those above) and those that could cost more, such as double glazing or new heating systems.

The certificate will also list further measures that will help achieve the highest possible ratings for the home, but which could be expensive and will take more than seven years to repay their cost in energy savings.

Behavioural changes
There are also simple ways that you can improve your energy efficiency, simply by changing how you use your property:

Check that your heating system thermostat isn't set too high (21 degrees C in the living room is suggested), and use the timer or programmer so you only heat your home when necessary

Make sure your hot water isn't too hot. Your cylinder thermostat shouldn't need to be set higher than 60 degrees C/140 degrees F

Turn off lights when they aren't needed, and don't leave appliances on standby. Remember not to leave chargers (e.g. for mobile phones) turned on when you aren't using them

This article is for your general information and use only and is not intended to address your particular requirements. Although endeavours have been made to provide accurate and timely information, there can be no guarantee that such information is accurate as of the date it is received or that it will continue to be accurate in the future. No individual or company should act upon such information without appropriate professional advice after a thorough examination of their particular situation. Budget 2007 information included in this article is subject to the Finance Bill becoming law.

Article date: 03.07