Hips Trial Begins

The home information packs (Hips) trial, aimed at reducing the number of collapsed house sales began today.

The packs, which will become mandatory from June 2007, will provide potential homebuyers with up-front information and an energy efficiency report on a house.

They are aimed at speeding up the homebuying process and cutting the number of transactions that fail late in the day.

Trials will take place in Bath, Newcastle, Southampton, Northampton, Huddersfield and Cambridge, with the first being rolled out in Newcastle today.

A spokesperson for the Department for Communities and Local Government said: "We are committed to putting in place a robust and rigorous system for testing Hips. The regional trials are central to making sure that consumers get the best possible product.

"We believe that home information packs will offer real benefits to consumers. For the first time people will be provided with important energy efficiency information about their homes in an energy performance certificate. Not only can this help save money on energy bills, but it will set out practical measures showing how people could reduce carbon emissions from their homes.

"Home information packs have real potential to improve house buying and selling across the country by providing upfront information to potential buyers."