<p>Fears that a shortage of energy assessors will delay the production of home information packs (HIPs) and cause the housing market to stall have been rebuffed by the government. From June 1 all existing homes will require an energy performance certificate (EPC) which will grade a home’s energy efficiency on a scale of A to G. The government has said 2,500 assessors will be needed in June for around 90,000 inspections. A spokesperson for the department of Communities and Local Government (CLG) said it expects 3,000 to be qualified once HIPs arrive with a further 1,000 set to qualify soon after. But there is disquiet in the industry. </p> <p>Chris Crook, southern regional md of Countryside Properties, said: “Say you have 1.2 million transactions in the market at the moment, that means those 4,000 inspectors will have to complete about three or four every day. How will that work?” Charles Smailes, president of the National Association of Estate Agents, agreed. “ The government says 2,500 assessors will be enough and it may be in June because all the activity will be in May as consumers sell before HIPs come into force. But when the market gets back momentum there needs …