Home energy certificates on way

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/7414818.stm

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Houses being sold in Northern Ireland from the end of next month will have to have an energy performance certificate.

The certificate is an indication of how energy efficient a home is and the system is already in place in England and Wales.

Anyone selling their home from 1 July will have to pay for a special energy assessor to survey it and give it a formal certificate.

From October, all new homes will have to have one as soon as they are built.

The certificates are seen as a way to encourage NI home owners to make their houses more energy efficient and to provide some guidance to prospective buyers on how much it will cost to heat a home.

The Department of Finance and Personnel has said from next week, it will run public seminars across Northern Ireland to explain the new requirements which begin in just five weeks time.