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EPCs required for ALL properties which change ownership from 1st October - this includes those homes which have been on the market since before the HIPs legislation was introduced. They will not have a Home Information Pack and will not be obliged to produce one, but from October 1st they MUST have at least an EPC. Below is a copied extract of a letter from the Energy Performance of Buildings Directorate, 29/8/08.

Thank you for your enquiry to the EPBD helpline, the response to your enquiry is as follows.
A property marketed without the requirement of a Home Information Pack (HIP) will require an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) from 1st October 2008 if you wish to continue marketing. This also includes homes sold without marketing for sale e.g. by private treaty between family members or Local Authority housing will require an EPC on sale from 1 October 2008.
Please note that we cannot offer legal advice, nor can any interpretation of the law that we suggest be regarded as authoritative. If you are still unclear on what the law requires you to do, after reading the guidance that is available from CLG, we would suggest that you seek you own legal advice.
Kind regards
EPBD
EPBD Helpline
tel: 0845 365 2468
email: help@epbduk.info

The following is cut and pasted from a West London Property Forum

"Green Properties Sell Faster and Are Worth More"
'Carbon appeal' set to replace 'kerb appeal' when it comes to swaying buyers

Buyers are willing to pay an average of £3,350 more for a green home.

New research from the Energy Saving Trust reveals that energy efficient homes could be a vital driver to keeping the property market moving, with 'carbon appeal' set to replace 'kerb appeal' when it comes to swaying buyers. The study reveals that half of UK homeowners believe homes with greener features are easier to sell in the current market and 53% of all householders say they would be willing to pay extra for them.

The research reveals however, that estate agents could be under-selling the value of greener homes through a lack of information.

Despite the fact that householders are willing to pay on average £3,350 more for a 'green' home, almost half (49%) feel that estate agents don't put enough value on a home's green features and 56 per cent feel that estate agents don't know enough about energy efficiency performance. There is a clear appetite for clearer information however, as two-thirds (66%) of householders would like more guidance from estate agents on the likely running costs of a home.

For more on this subject, click here to access a copy of the "Hidden Value Guide" and find out how energy-saving features can add value to your home.

And here's an interesting snippet from the CLG's question and answer page on HIPs.

"Potential buyers are entitled to a paper copy of the HIP and can only be charged a reasonable sum to cover copying and postage costs for this. Sellers are entitled to a paper copy of the HIP produced on their own home entirely free of charge."

Having discovered this, Homecertify ceased to charge for the hard copy of the HIP - it will now be included in the published cost of the HIP.

April 6th 2009 - the end of first day marketing exemptions

From this date onward, a property cannot be marketed without the following documents already in the HIP.

IT IS NO LONGER ENOUGH JUST TO HAVE ORDERED A HIP.

HIP Index, Property Information Questionnaire, Energy Performance Certificate, Sale Statement, Land Registry Title and Plan.

Homecertify's first order under the new rules came on April 6th - the new requirements made absolutely no difference to the Client - the HIP was ready for marketing within 24 hours. (Ordered at 11am on 6th, Estate Agents informed they could now legally market at 10am on April 7th).

The local option is clearly the best under the new rules - we can move faster and more flexibly than a national firm.