Call for full-scale Hips rollout

Posted: 27 Sep 2007 12:14:02 GMT

Home information packs (Hips) should become a mandatory part of the home-selling process for all properties.

Home information packs (Hips) should become a mandatory part of the home-selling process for all properties.

That is according to the Association of Home Information Pack Providers (Ahipp), which said we will only see the full benefits of the packs will a full-scale rollout.

Ahipp pointed to a successful launch of Hips for properties with four or more bedrooms in August, which was extended to three-bedroom properties just one month later.

Director general of the organisation Mike Ockenden said that the industry is ready for an extended rollout and he wants the government to make an announcement soon.

"I call upon the government to extend the rollout to the remainder of the housing stock. There are now over 5,000 fully accredited Domestic Energy Assessors (DEAs) ready to provide Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), a substantially higher number than the government's target of 3,000 for the full national rollout of Hips," he commented.

"We have seen that the rollout of Hips to three and four-bedroom homes has gone very well and I now strongly urge government to extend the implementation to all homes put on the market so that Hips can really start to do the job they have been brought in to do.

"It is time for all home buyers and sellers to benefit from this vital reform," he added.

It was recently revealed by The Partnership that the "vast majority" of UK are receiving low grades for energy efficiency on their EPCs.

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