This is according to a survey from the Energy Savings Trust, which also found that 53 per cent of home owners were unaware of EPCs.
The survey also discovered that 37 per cent of home owners would take an EPC’s findings into consideration when they were planning home improvements.
Commenting on the survey, Miles Shipside, commercial director at Rightmove, said: “Home buyers, who are among those 48 per cent who want to know the energy efficiency score of their home, are more likely to consider newly built properties alongside the second-hand residential market. However, some of the most sought-after properties are the least energy efficient, including those with period features, high ceilings and large windows.”
However, Shipside believed that the importance of the EPC and the environmental impact of property would grow as people’s awareness of green issues increased, as highlighted by over half of those asked not being aware of the EPC.
Arron Bardoe, sales director at Flexible-Mortgage.net, commented: “Talking to people, I’d say more than half don’t have any awareness of EPCs and Home Information Packs (HIPs). We’re educating people when they come in but a lot will have to be done before three-bedrooms are included under the scheme. But generally, there is not a great deal of awareness or interest in EPCs, unless they are buying.”
