Northern Ireland householders selling their home without an Energy Performance Certificate when government officials visit next week will face fines of up to £1,000, it was revealed yesterday.
The Department of Finance and Personnel will be carrying out a series of spot checks at properties being marketed for sale or rent in a bid to see if an EPC is in place, the Belfast Telegraph can reveal.
EPCs, which rates a home’s |energy efficient on a scale of A to G, became a legal requirement for all residential properties for sale or rent last year.
However, this announcement is the first clear sign from the DFP of enforcing the legislation and penalising those householders or landlords who don’t have an EPC.
Local estate agents have received a letter from the department spelling out its intention to impose penalties on those who don’t comply with the requirements.
A DFP spokesman said in the letter to estate agents: “We |intend undertaking follow-up visiting during the coming weeks.” He added the department was of the view “sufficient time has elapsed since the introduction of the regulations”.
The penalty for not producing an EPC is £200 for each breach of the regulations.
