AHIPP also said it would delay the European Union (EU) directive on Energy performance.
The EU directive states that by 2009 every house that goes on the market must have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) and the cost of producing one of these as a stand alone report will be around £250 each, a cost that will be passed directly onto the vendor at the time of selling their home.
HIPs, which become mandatory on 1 June 2007, will contain the required Energy Performance Certificate outlining the energy costs involved in running a property and making suggestions to reduce emissions and costs.
The report will be compiled by a qualified Home Inspector as part of the Home Condition Report (HCR) for the property and as a result, the cost of producing the Energy Performance Certificate equates to less than £50 per home.
Mike Ockenden, director general of the Association of Home Information Pack Providers (AHIPP), commented: “David Cameron is prepared to concrete his lawn and put a windmill on his London house, but when it comes to serious environmental issues he fails to take action. HIPs will introduce the Energy Performance Certificate next year, two years ahead of the mandatory date of 2009.
“Cameron appears keen to disregard these packs, failing to alert consumers to the true advantages of HIPs and delaying the introduction of the EPC until he is forced to introduce this in 2009. This is in stark contrast to his supposed green campaign.
“By including the Energy Performance Certificate in the pack consumers will save in the region of £200 for every certificate produced. Even in a slow year for home sales that equates to over £200 million per annum. According to the EU directive, all homes put up for sale will need such a certificate, and HIPs will deliver compliance with the directive well in advance of the deadline of 2009.
“What puzzles me is that despite the continuous claims from David Cameron that his party has a strong environmental focus he is refusing to support the introduction of HIPs which serve the green agenda so well. Further to this HIPs will not only reduce the number of failed transactions, they will speed up the process, save consumers money and encourage energy efficiency. Why the Tories do not seem to understand this is entirely beyond me.”
