Homeowners face lottery on Hips prices

Homeowners are facing a postcode lottery when it comes to the cost of Home Information Packs (Hips), according to Which?

The consumer body has said that the cost of Hips varies drastically throughout the country and affects homeowners in different ways around the UK.

Nick Cheek, assistant editor of Which? said: "We found that prices ranged- we looked at four regions London, Oxford and Abingdon, Rotherham and Swansea and we found prices ranged from £234 up to £529."

He added that it is "something of a lottery" on how much a homeowner is going to pay as there is no standardised payment.

Mr Cheek concluded that the company also found that there are variations in prices within areas such as Swansea and London, not just over the country.

From December last year, all properties on the market have needed a Hip, which includes a home energy rating.

Which? is an independent registered charity and campaigns for fairer deals for consumers.

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