Energy Performance Certificates that should help people cut their bills are having no influence on four out of five homebuyers who see them.This is according to new research by Consumer Focus which carried out a survey to find out how useful prospective buyers and tenants found the certificates which landlords and homeowners are legally required to provide when selling or letting a home. It found that four out of five people who had received an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) when buying or renting had not acted on any of its recommendations to make their new home more energy efficient and save money.
The survey also found that only one in five people who received the information said it had any influence on their decision to buy or rent the property. However, when asked what features in a new home were most important to them, apart from price and size, one in seven people said energy efficiency mattered most.
Recent government figures show that carbon emissions coming from Britain's homes are still at almost the same level as 20 years ago, having fallen just 3% between 1990 and 2009. EPCs are vital to the success of the Government's Green Deal, which aims to cut emissions from homes. In future they must help consumers understand how to access the Green Deal and whether a property has a Green Deal loan attached to it. The EPC must be accurate, clear, and be provided before people buy or rent a property
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