Housing minister Yvette Cooper said the new Energy Performance Certificate will be an essential part of Home Information Packs being introduced in 2007.
Certificates will give A to G ratings for a house’s energy efficiency and carbon emissions. Average costs for heating, hot water and lighting will have to be revealed, as well as to how to improve energy efficiency.
“Given the growing challenge from climate change and rising energy costs, I think people should be entitled to this kind of information about the home they buy,” said housing minister Yvette Cooper.
The certificates, to be included in the pack’s Home Condition Reports, will list practical measures for improving performance, such as cavity wall insulation, double glazing and solar panels.
Packs will be introduced in June 2007, two years earlier than a European deadline requiring the introduction of home energy certificates.
