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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?