Whilst the ratings themselves are not a deal breaker, they would be likely to act on the energy saving proposals made in an EPC.
Three months on from the launch of Home Information Packs (HIPs), the Government has said that most homes are receiving an ‘E’ rating on an A-G scale, but this could rise to a ‘C’ relatively easily.
Stephen Smith, director of housing at Legal & General said: “The rollout of HIPs has been pretty smooth so far and more people are becoming familiar with providing and using the packs.
"We suspect that traditional factors such as price, location and condition will remain far higher up the list in terms of buyers’ priorities than energy rating, so no seller is going to lose out if their home is not currently energy efficient.
"However, over time buyers will be likely to implement some of the energy-saving recommendations as they make improvements to their home. This will result in valuable cost savings on heating and lighting bills, given the recent upward year on year trend in overall utilities bills.”
Legal & General believes that adopting energy-saving measures will become par for the course, just as many householders now regularly recycle their rubbish.
Smith added: “Green grants for energy saving improvements are available to many homeowners. The EPC makes homeowners more aware of how investment in energy-saving measures saves money in the long run and gradually this will translate into action.
"Whilst no-one is going to feasibly install double-glazing into a period, thatched cottage, there is room for reasonable and appropriate improvements in many properties.”
