It has emerged that some businesses supplying Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) may not have the correct qualifications to provide valid certificates.
According to the NI Law Society there are two different qualifications for EPC assessors.
It has sent an email to members noting that one is called a Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA) qualification which is needed for assessing existing dwellings, while the other is an On-Construction Energy Assessor (OCEA) which is the qualification required in relation to new builds.
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Since December any property - residential or commercial - which is sold, built or rented has been required to have an EPC.
The certificate provides an indication of how energy efficient a particular building is for the purchaser.
Somebody with a DEA qualification can only provide a certificate for an existing dwelling, while an assessor with the OCEA qualification can deal only with newly built properties - although assessors can of course be qualified in both areas.
Law Society members were told "it is not clear how widespread the problem is but solicitors should be aware of it and know how to spot if an EPC is or is not the correct one".
Somebody with an invalid EPC could have to pay for a new certificate. While somebody who sold a property with an invalid certificate could find themselves in a potential legal minefield, if, for example, the vendee had based the purchase on a high energy efficiency wrongly indicated in a given certificate.
The move appears to have wrong-footed the Department of Finance and Personnel, which is responsible for the scheme.
A spokesperson said: "The department was in regular contact with the Law Society during the introduction of the regulations.
"The society has not made us aware of the these issues. We will follow-up with the society."
(BMcC/KMcA)
