I’m truly certain you have read plenty of posts regarding Professionally Qualified Domestic Energy Assessors. They are certainly common with bloggers and readers alike.

The EPC assessor will have a look at the loft and determine if any insulation is needed and how much. The usual recommendation is to have 270mm insulation at the joists. They will also check the type of wall that divides your property from the neighbours. You can improve your energy rating by having insulation like open-cell spray foam. This area is where heat loss usually occurs, and uninsulated lofts can lose about 33% of heat. From 1 October 2008 sellers and landlords have been required by law to provide an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for all buildings or parts of buildings when they are sold or rented. Those carrying out the construction of a building will be required to provide an EPC to the owner. You’re likely already familiar with those colour-coded energy labels we see nowadays on electrical appliances like fridges and washing machines. As you probably know, they give you a good idea of how efficient your appliance is. An Energy Performance Certificate (or EPC) does exactly the same thing for your property. After carrying out a brief survey of the property, an EPC assessor will place the house on a colour-coded scale from A to G – A being the most efficient band with the cheapest fuel bills and G the least efficient. Once issued, an EPC rating is valid for 10 years. If you are aiming to get your property to an EPC rating B, then you will be entering the realms of the best of the best in terms of energy efficiency and a low environmental impact. So, how does MEES affect tenants of a commercial building? Although the new rules directly impacts landlords in the commercial property sector, as a tenant you may still be affected by the regulation. You may be asked to leave the property whilst work is being carried out to improve energy efficiency. However, The Deregulation Act covers tenants against unfair eviction in relation to issues raised around the property’s energy efficiency.



Occasionally someone may rent a single room in a property-this room, will not need an EPC as the whole building, would require one rather than separate rooms. Under the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), of 2008 all commercial property in the UK, over 50 sq metres in size is required to have an Energy Performance Certificate (Commercial EPC) upon construction, or prior to sale or lease of the property. A EU Directive requires that Energy Performance Certificates will need to be provided for all buildings when they are constructed, sold or rented out. A new Energy Performance Certificate will be required, or an existing Energy Performance Certificate may be used if it is still valid. If your Energy Performance Certificate expires, you are not automatically required to get a new one. You will only need to get a new EPC if you intend to let to a new tenant, or wish to sell the property. Once an EPC reaches the ten-year point and expires, there is currently no automatic requirement for a new one to be commissioned. A further EPC will only be required the next time a trigger point is reached, i.e. when the property is next sold or let to a new tenant. A well-thought-out strategy appertaining to mees regulations can offer leaps and bounds in improvements.

Improving Your Energy Efficiency Rating

The Energy Act 2011 contains a number of provisions that affect owners of property; the most significant of these is MEES, which aims to improve the energy efficiency of the most energy inefficient properties. MEES also contributes to the UK legislative targets of reducing CO2 emissions for all buildings to around zero by 2050. In 2020, the government consulted on plans to raise the minimum EPC rating to C for all private rented homes. They've suggested a phased implementation plan that would apply to new tenancies from 2025 and all tenancies from 2028, while also increasing the high cost exemption from £3,500 to £10,000. At any time, an EPC for a property MUST reflect the actual property it is being used for. Where a building has a dual purpose, perhaps a residential dwelling within an office, a separate EPC will be needed. In effect, anything classed as being designed or altered for separate use would require its own EPC. Where an inhabitant can separately control heating and ventilation and have separate access to the other occupants, an EPC for that particular purpose-built area would be needed. How can you save energy in your building? Standard occupancy, heating patterns and hot water use are assumed when working out the EPC, to ensure the EPCs for different homes can be compared by prospective buyers or tenants. The EPC costs account for energy used for heating, lighting and hot water, but do not include other energy uses in a property, for example cooking or the number of electrical appliances. An EPC is calculated based on standard occupancy rather than how an individual uses the property and appliance use can vary significantly between users. A service such as a non domestic epc register is an invaluable asset in the heady world of business.

Commercial Energy Performance Certificates are valid for 10 years from when issued. If you implement any of the energy efficiency recommendations outlined in your EPC, you may wish to get a fresh Commercial Energy Performance Certificate done to include these improvements. As a tenant looking to lease a commercial property, you should be very careful when checking the history of the building. Making sure the commercial property has an EPC rating of E or above is essential to prevent any disruption, eviction or even the potential of having to pay a contribution cost towards energy improvement. You should also be aware of the landlord’s rights (if any) to enter the property to carry out energy improvement works. An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) measures the energy efficiency of a property and rates it on a sliding scale depending on how efficient it is. Ratings are from A-G with A being the most efficient and G being the least. There are a few exceptions to not having a commercial EPC. For example, properties with no roof, places of worship, temporary buildings, and buildings scheduled to be demolished, may not require an EPC. Always contact your local authority of EPC specialists if you’re unsure whether your commercial building requires an energy assessment. You may think we are working ahead of ourselves but if your commercial property does not have an EPC, or has a rating of an F or G, it would be worthwhile having a new assessment which would give you time to make any necessary improvements. This is especially important if you have a large portfolio of properties or if you rent large properties. Research around commercial epc remains patchy at times.

EPC Awareness

A domestic energy assessor (DEA) will evaluate the types of insulation installed in your property when performing a domestic EPC. Existing insulation is measured and compared against current standards. If you're working on a new build construction, whether for commercial or residential purposes, it's an essential requirement of Building Regulations that SAP calculations and EPC certificates are provided. The purpose of these requirements is to ensure that new build properties are as energy efficient as possible. You should never be charged for an EPC whether you are looking to buy or rent. It should be presented to you for free by the seller or landlord (or their agent). You can have an EPC commissioned for your personal use, to help mitigate energy use, but you will have to pay for it. They can range from around £35 to £120 but shop around to get a few quotes. By law, landlords and letting agents are responsible for providing an Energy Performance Certificate for any properties they put up for rent. If you are renting a property, you are not required to order an EPC. However, you should ask the agent or landlord to show you a valid EPC before you sign a tenancy agreement. The commercial EPC site survey is a non-intrusive assessment where the assessor will gain all the information he needs to complete the assessment with minimum disruption to you or your staff or processes. EPCs are valid for 10 years and can be downloaded from the EPC register. Conducting viability appraisals with respect to mees is useful from the outset of any project.

Landlords providing accommodation where a tenant needs urgent relocation because of an emergency are exempt from the requirement to make an EPC available before renting out the dwelling if there is no valid certificate and insufficient time to commission one. However, an EPC must be provided as soon as is reasonably practicable after the renting out the dwelling. From April 2018, it became a legal requirement that residential landlords must provide an EPC rating of at least E for their property. This was initially for new tenants undertaking new tenancy agreements, however from April 2023, all landlords with new and previous tenancies will need to provide an EPC with a rating of E or above. If a home has an EPC Grade A energy rating, it’s doing everything it can to minimise energy usage. On average, homes across the UK usually have an energy rating of grade D - meaning they’re not as energy efficient as they could be. The EPC will also determine the cost of running the home as well as advisory home improvements to help improve your rating and move further up the scale. An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) sets out the energy efficiency grade of a commercial building. Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) are required when a commercial building over 50m2is built, sold or rented. There are two grades of buildings under the EPC requirements which relate to the complexity of the building being assessed and will affect the type of EPC assessor you will need. A Commercial Energy Performance Certificate is required at the point of marketing and should be made available to the applicant at the earliest opportunity. It is also required when the lease is renewed. It is usually done when the property is being let or sold and is valid for 10 years unless the thermal elements are changed. e.g. if double glazing is changed or the boiler is updated to a better model. There are many options available when it comes to epc commercial property in today’s market.

Follow The Recommendations

Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) are needed whenever a property is built, sold or rented. You must order an EPC for potential buyers and tenants before you market your property to sell or rent. An EPC certificate will also show what rating the building could achieve if you made the improvements recommended. Even small changes, such as swapping to energy-efficient lightbulbs, could see the rating improve. Before marketing a building for sale or rent a person acting on behalf of the seller or landlord (for example, the estate or letting agent) must be satisfied that an EPC has been commissioned for that building. An EPC must be produced by an accredited energy assessor who is a member of a government approved accreditation scheme. Unearth further details relating to Professionally Qualified Domestic Energy Assessors at this UK Government Publications page.

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