EPCs required for all properties from October onwards

Commenting on Energy Performance Certificates being required for all properties from October onwards, Scott Byrom, utilities manager at moneysupermarket.com, said: "The most surprising and invasive part of the requirement for an Energy Performance Certificate is that it will apply to landlords - and not just people looking to sell or build their home.

"The EPC, which rates the energy efficiency of homes, will generally cost around £100. Homeowners and landlords are feeling the pressure on their purse strings more than ever and this demand will add further to that strain. It is also questionable whether the certificates will make it any more likely that people will take action to improve the energy efficiency of their home.

"Increased energy bills - with gas prices rising by 52 per cent this year and electricity by 28 per cent - are more probable inducements to get people thinking about insulation and other measures. Adding loft insulation and upgrading your boiler can save around £20 a month in energy bills - and typically upgrades a property's EPC from a D to a B. But homeowners and landlords will have to bear in mind the upfront cost of implementing these measures."