A recent Home Sale Network survey indicates that Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) have little impact currently on the sale and purchase of property.  Home buyers do not consider a property's rating to be a key part of their purchase criteria nor a lever to negotiate a purchase price or rent.

Introduced as part of Home Information Packs (HIPs) in August 2007, EPCs provide information on reducing a building's carbon dioxide emissions and consequently making them more energy efficient.  The certificates carry rating measures with 'A' being the most efficient and 'G' being the least and with all homes bought, sold or rented now requiring an EPC, energy efficiency has become more important than ever.

Given this, it is surprising that 57% of Home Sale Network members reported in a recent survey that they have never been asked about a property's EPC rating by a prospective buyer or tenant.  A further 43% have been asked in less than 50% of discussions with buyers.  In arriving at this figure, respondents were asked to include any conversation on EPCs, what they are, whether a property's rating is good or bad, or what a certain rating category means.

As a national network of specially selected, independent estate agents, Home Sale Network members assist buyers and sellers across the country, giving a good indication of the level of impact EPCs are having on property transactions in England, Scotland and Wales.

Interestingly, 94% of members report that potential purchasers or tenants, in their experience, have not tried to negotiate an asking price or a rental value based upon the EPC rating of a property.  This leaves only a low 6% of Home Sale Network members reporting instances of negotiation based upon the EPC and this is despite the fact that ratings and the publication of EPCs have been an integral part of the sale and letting process for the last two years.

Furthermore, 18% of respondents stated that between 25% and 50% of the properties they are currently selling or letting have an F or G (poor) rated EPC and a further 73% of respondents indicated they had less than a quarter with an F or G rated EPC.

Asked if members would recommend vendors and landlords take low cost steps to raise the rating of their home before putting it on the market for sale or rent in the current economic climate, 87% of respondents in the survey indicated they would not recommend this course of action.

Kevin Moll, a parter of Kevin Henry Estate Agents, said "It would appear that EPCs are  having little impact on the UK property market at this current time, with all survey respondents either being asked less than 50% of the time or not at all about the energy efficiency certificates.  However, with an ever increasing emphasis on th environment, it is encouraging to see that 73% of Home Sale Network respondents indicated that less than a quarter of their properties have a poor rated EPC.