The government has announced plans to extend its home information packs (HIPs) from four-bedroom houses to three-bedroom properties in England and Wales from 10th September.

A scaled-down version of the scheme was initially introduced on 1st August, after initial plans proposed that the packs apply to all properties.

As part of the packs, houses put on the market will get an energy performance certificate (EPC) to determine the property’s energy-efficiency level. The Energy Saving Trust claims householders could reduce their fuel bills by as much as £300 a year if they followed the energy recommendations.

“HIPs and EPCs can help families to save hundreds of pounds off their fuel bills, and cut a million tonnes of carbon a year,” said the government’s communities minister Baroness Andrews.

“They also have the potential to reduce the millions of pounds wasted by consumers when buying and selling a home, by increasing transparency and competition in a process that hasn't changed for a generation.”

Opponents of the scheme argue that HIPs are unnecessary and could result in a slowing down of the housing market.