The rest of the HIP will be provided by solicitors, estate agents or HIP providers.

For the latest information about EPCs and HIPs, visit the government website www.HomeInformationPacks.gov.uk

For impartial advice about saving energy in the home, visit the Energy Saving Trust

How to prepare for an energy assessment

Your solicitor or estate agent should tell you how to prepare for an energy assessment.

SEAA Assessors will require a sellers questionnaire to be completed.  It will be sent out in advance of the inspection and can be left for the assessor or filled in on the day. A copy of the SEAA questionnaire can be downloaded here. You will need adobe reader to view this file if you do not have adobe it can be downloaded from here.

These preparations will speed up the inspection and help prevent a return visit or cancellation.

Sample Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)

Click here to see a typical Energy Performance Certificate.

By following the energy saving measures below you should see a great return on your investment, both financially and environmentally. You can cut as much as £300 off your annual energy bill and reduce your household's carbon dioxide emissions by around two tonnes.

Brush up on energy saving

Eliminate draughts and wasted heat by installing a cheap, easy-to-fix brush or PVC seal on your exterior doors. Letterboxes and keyholes should be covered too. Sealing unused open fireplaces, and their associated ventilation bricks, greatly reduces heat loss from a room.

Draught dodgers

Draughts also get in through gaps in floorboards and skirting boards, which also allow heat to escape in winter. Stop this waste by filling these gaps with newspaper, beading or sealant.

Use energy saving light bulbs

Switch to energy saving light bulbs. They last up to 12 times longer than ordinary light bulbs, and each bulb you fit could save up to £100 on electricity over the bulb's lifetime. They come in a whole range of styles and fittings.

Fit your tank with a jacket

Insulate your hot water tank with a jacket - it only costs a few pounds and, with all the heat it traps in, pays for itself within months. Fit one that's at least 75mm (3") thick and you could save around £20 a year. If every UK household fitted an adequate tank-jacket tomorrow, we'd save over £95 million of energy every year!

Loft Insulation

Insulating your loft is one of the simplest ways to save energy - you can even install it yourself. Insulate your loft today and in a year you could save between £180 and £220 per annum.

Insulate wall cavities

Around 33% of the heat lost in an uninsulated house is through the walls. You could save up to £160 on energy bills each year by insulating your wall cavities. It also creates an even temperature in your home. If we all filled our wall cavities, we'd save over £960 million of energy a year.

Switch to high-efficiency boilers

If your boiler is over 15 years old it's probably time to replace it. By law, new gas boilers in England and Wales must now be of the high efficiency condensing type, which can help you save up to a third on your heating bills and even more if you upgrade to modern controls as well.

Look for the Logo

When purchasing new appliances, always look for the Energy Saving Recommended logo. Energy Saving Recommended appliances are the most efficient in their category and could save you up to £45 a year

Email: office@somersetenergy.org