From 1 June 2007 all home owners in England and Wales will need to arrange for a Home Information Pack to be prepared before putting their homes up for sale. The Packs will contain an Energy Performance Certificate, searches and legal documents, which will be mandatory.  A Home Condition Report can also be included by sellers on a voluntary basis.

To find out more about Home Information Packs visit  www.homeinformationpacks.gov.uk  .

The government is committed to comply with EU Directive 2002/91/EC which aims to promote improvements in the energy performance of buidings.

The EU directive requires an energy performance certificate for all dwellings at the time of sale.

The certificate will give prospective purchasers an easy to read guide to the likely energy costs of occupying the property in a similar way that current 'white goods' have an efficiency label.

Domestic energy consumption causes 25% of national CO2 emissions, and heating uses 90% of energy in the home. Improvement in the energy efficiency of our homes is therefore important in reducing our overall emissions.