Government figures claim there are “sufficient” skilled assessors and that HIPs will not significantly affect the market
Government figures claim 5,794 people have now been accredited as energy and home assessors for Home Information packs, which will be extended to all properties next month
A statement by housing minister Yvette Cooper claimed that this was a “sufficient” number. The statement also revealed that:
- 200,000 EPCs for houses have been generated since the summer
- The average rating for homes was E
- Hips are taking an average of seven to 10 days to prepare, EPCs take an average of two to four days and Hips cost between £300-£500
Cooper’s department has also released a report on Hips, carried out by Europe Economics which concludes that Hips will not have a signigicant impact on the housing market in the long term. The report says: “Fears that HIPs will be the main or key determinant (on the housing market) are, in our view, unfounded.”
