Does anyone know where I can find out more information about some new legislation which I think means that any new tenancies/lettings means the landlord must provide an energy efficiency survey? I heard about it somewhere and can't remember where.

Energy Performance Certificates will become mandatory for all new properties being rented out starting from 1st October 2008.

Some of the rules for this are still unclear and clarification is being sought from Communities and Local Government .
The following is confirmed

It is mandatory for all new property lettings.

An Energy Performance Certificate will be valid for 10 years

It can be renewed at any time should the property owner have carried out any work to improve the energy efficiency of the property being let.

An EPC will not be required for a renewal of tenancy.

Where one or more of a group of people sharing a rental property change, an EPC is required.

It applies to all residential tenancies regardless of tenure type.

The owner of the property being let is not required to carry out any of the works suggested as a means of improving the property.

An EPC will comment on any white goods left as part of the inventory of the property.

An EPC must be available to any prospective tenant before they have committed to rent the property or have viewed the property. The tenant must be provided with a copy of the EPC before the start of a tenancy. This of course will require agents and landlords to be able to exhibit an EPC in September or even earlier if the tenancy does not start till 1st October or later.

A property owner carrying out certain works may be able to claim a Landlord’s Energy Saving Allowance by setting certain expenditure up to £1500 per property against their income tax. This is in addition to any other allowable expenditure.