Latest Government about-turn!
Tuesday 22nd May 2007
Yet again, HIPS introduction has been put into chaos. Today, Ruth Kelly has announced that HIPS will be deferred until August 2007.....what a mess!
Yet again, HIPS introduction has been put into chaos. Today, Ruth Kelly has announced that HIPS will be deferred until August 2007 and that even then only 4-bed properties and over will require the EPC.
The HIPs industry is in shock! A significant amount of investment in people, systems and money has been put into serving this legislation already. Thousands of people are trained and licensed to provide EPC's from 1st June whilst many more are in training.
The action has been encouraged by the RICS and the judicial review proceedings.
What more can we say at the moment except that this latest change will cause serious financial problems in the HIP's industry. Let's hope that when we get round to August, HIPS will at least begin.
We also still expect that the HCR will be chosen by smart vendors and estate agents to form part of the HIP.
But this latest chaos leaves uncertainty in everyone's minds........what a mess!
Still, let's try to be positive. August 1st will soon come round (unless the date is changed again), by which time some EPC instructions should follow. I still believe that the HCR will be chosen by some vendors from August.
But if this all goes wrong the Government will have to compensate DEA's and HI's for cost of training and lost work. No doubt many who use this site will have already burned boats with previous employment.
And no doubt the HIP providers are already getting their claims put together just for the two month delay.
It is a mess. We will have to wait and see how things turn out.