Home information pack U-turn

Plans for £1000 Home Information Packs to protect buyers have been quashed by government in favour of a less demanding and cheaper option. The move has been roundly condemned by the ECA and the Electrical Safety Council.

Emma McCarthy, director of the Electrical Safety Council said: “We believed that the Home Information Pack offered an ideal opportunity to raise awareness on the fundamental issue of electrical safety in the home and have been lobbying for electrical report forms and certificates to form part of the Home Condition Report. The government’s decision to all but abandon the Home Condition Report by making its use voluntary is disappointing, but we will continue to lobby to ensure that electrical safety is not overlooked by government in future. We are still determined to raise awareness of the importance of inspecting and testing a home’s electrics and of having an appropriate certificate or report to support this.”

Ministers have been put under pressure from a group of MPs and estate agents, who are worried that the cost of packs could affect house prices. Initially, the packs included a ‘home condition report’, putting the onus of paying for a full survey on sellers rather than buyers. This version of the pack was to cost up to £1000. However, following pressure, the government has watered down the pack contents. Yvette Cooper, housing minister, states that the packs will still go ahead from June of next year but they will no longer contain a home condition report. As a result, the packs will only include energy efficiency reports, which have to be introduced under European law, and neighbourhood searches. They are likely to cost less than £200.

ECA president Alan North said: “The government’s U-turn was a major disappointment as it was hoped that the requirements set out in the Home Condition Report would make potential buyers more aware of the importance of electrical safety. We are urging government to relook at the decision to dilute the pack.”