Energy assessors must have PI cover

Incorrect energy reporting could land domestic energy assessors in court and cost home owners thousands, said Hiscox.

The controversial home information pack (HIP) came into force yesterday for properties with four or more bedrooms.

Hiscox called on homeowners to ensure that their domestic energy assessor had professional indemnity (PI) insurance when reporting under the HIP scheme.

Under government plans every house with four or more bedrooms that is put on the market for sale in England and Wales will need an energy performance certificate as part of the HIP.

The insurer said domestic energy assessors should have appropriate PI cover in place to fulfil their duties and to cover them for any error which could potentially result in litigation.

An energy rating that was wrongly assessed as too low could result in homeowners being forced to reduce the sale price of their home or waste money on unnecessary improvements.

Equally, an energy rating that was wrongly assessed as too high might force new homeowners to spend large amounts of money on improvement to make their homes more energy efficient .

Sam Franks, Hiscox regional underwriting manager, said:"If energy assessors don't get it right, they could potentially cost homeowners across Britain thousands of pounds in losses and leave themselves exposed to legal action, even if the allegations are unfounded.

"Professional indemnity insurance is a mandatory requirement for energy assessors. It not only protects them but also provides reassurance to homeowners that they are not dealing with rogue assessors."