Ministers are expending energy on reforms, but it’s all hot air for desperate house hunters

What do you look for in a property? Kerb appeal, perhaps, or a good school in the area? I’d be less likely to prioritise the contents of a home’s energy performance certificate (EPC), which usually appears on the last page of a property schedule. There you’ll find — as the name suggests — how energy efficient a house is with marks out of 100. Plus its potential, should you be willing to splash the cash on upgrades.

Soon this could change. A proposed reform to the length and complexity of EPCs means they could include far more detail, including how much energy a house uses, how well insulated it is and what its emissions are. These plans are being made out to be terribly helpful