The government is considering introducing a levy on domestic Energy Performance Certificates to pay for the expansion of the system used to assess the energy efficiency of houses.
This comes as the government prepares to retender the contract for the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) for energy rating dwellings, currently run by BRE, according to sources.
Under the plan, £10 from every EPC would go towards reforming SAP and measuring the actual performance of homes rated under the system.
It is thought the government spends between £500,000 and £1m a year on SAP. It is unclear how the charge would be policed.
Liz Reason, from the Association of Environment Conscious Building (AECB), said: “A £10 levy on an EPC would generate a pot of money to start making SAP closer to the reality of what goes on in buildings.”
BRE developed SAP for Part L of the 1995 Building Regulations but its role in rating homes with high levels of energy efficiency has become controversial.
Should firms undertaking EPCs pass the levy on to housebuyers?
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Government to consider extra charges on Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs)
Posted: January 19th, 2009 under Energy Performance Certificate.
Tags: Energy Performance Certificates, EPC Energy Performance Certificate, EPCs
Comment by Nigel Stevenson — January 21, 2009 @ 7:44 pm
What a joke, yet another stealth tax from the government. They make it law you have to have an EPC then put their charges on top.
Comment by Stuart — January 29, 2009 @ 10:27 pm
all the £10 tax will do is raise the price - these costs will have to be passed on. It was the Governments intention that the average EPC would be around £100. A quick look on the Internet and you’ll see in reality prices well below this figure.
Perhaps the pricing might be £(price of epc)+ compulsary £10(SAP fund) - or the Government could take money from the lodgement fee obviously increasing the lodgement fee to take this into account.
Comment by Jordan Canter — February 4, 2009 @ 1:44 pm
I agree. In a market that is already struggling, why put an extra £10 on top! The prices of epc’s are already so varied, this would just add more confusion.