The subject of Commercial and Domestic EPC Assessors can be complex. Let us strive to make it easier to understand.

If you are selling or renting out a domestic or a commercial property, or if you are looking to take advantage of one of the government’s renewable energy schemes, then you need an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) in order to proceed Both new and existing tenants should understand their property's EPC rating. Where it is below the new minimum thresholds, tenants should review their leases to understand if costs can be passed on. This will allow them to budget accordingly and engage early with landlords as to what the proposed plans are to achieve the new minimum standards. Information on an EPC gives the potential homeowner a guide to the energy costs of running a house for 3 years based on standard occupancy. It gives the house an energy rating on a scale A to G, A being excellent G the worst rating. EPCs include recommendations for making your home more energy-efficient, commonly including measures such as insulation, double glazing, air source heat pumps, solar panels and LED lighting. The EPC provides estimated costs of installing these measures and the potential savings you can achieve by making these changes. Intensive building energy efficiency improvements can reduce emissions from energy use, improving outdoor air quality and human health, but may also affect ventilation and indoor air quality. Investing in predictive maintenance is crucial. After installing sensors on the assets, equipment and distribution networks in a commercial property, engineering teams can track energy efficiency and calculate when systems may begin to underperform. In turn, these insights will give landlords the data-rich evidence they need to invest in more energy-efficient systems or renewable energy sources.



Buildings are responsible for almost 40% of the UK's energy consumption and carbon emissions and so understanding how to reduce and manage this energy consumption is important in terms of achieving carbon reduction targets, as well as reducing the building's running costs. The idea behind an EPC is both to inform you of what you can do to improve the energy efficiency of your property, and hence save money, and also to show how attractive the property is from an energy perspective for potential buyers. As part of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), January 2009 signals the beginning of the legal requirement to have in your possession an Energy Performance Certificate for commercial buildings (classed as non-dwellings) that you construct, lease or sell. Ember Energy NI is a provider of the inspection and certification services for the energy performance rating of commercial buildings. The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) came into force on 1 April 2018 and set new energy efficiency regulations for private rented properties throughout the UK. It is designed to highlight low standards of energy efficiency in properties in a bid to get landlords to take measures to raise them. You may be asking yourself how does a mees fit into all of this?

Thorough Survey

If you are a landlord, you'll need to make an EPC available to prospective tenants the first time you let a home after 1 October 2008. An EPC is only required for a property which is self-contained, and is valid for 10 years. An EPC isn't required when a tenant rents a room and shares facilities. For domestic property, in England and Wales an EPC must be made available when a property is either sold or let. It is a requirement that any potential purchaser or tenant can see the EPC for the property at the time of marketing. As part of a European Directive, an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is still mandatory if you intend to sell or rent your property. EPCs will provide information on a building's energy efficiency using a simple sliding scale - 'A' being the most efficient, to 'G' the least efficient In addition to the Energy Efficiency Rating (relating to running costs), the EPC will also show the Environment Impact Rating (relating to the carbon dioxide emissions). Once an EPC assessment has been completed, the EPC is valid for 10 years, and the certificate is available on the UK Government’s Landmark database, which has full public access. A report of recommendations accompanies the certificate, and sets out suggestions to improve the energy efficiency of the building in short, medium and long payback periods. If you are considering buying a property, ask the selling agent for a copy of the Energy Performance Certificate. Since it’s required by law, they should be able to send one over immediately. However, if the estate agent is slow in getting back to you, or you want to find out in a hurry, you can check the EPC register. This is the Governments database of all EPC’s that have been issued for properties. All you need is a postcode and a house number and you can get the latest EPC for free. Research around mees regulations remains patchy at times.

Making your home more energy efficient has a variety of benefits. It will not only help to reduce your carbon footprint, which is a crucial step in helping to tackle the climate emergency, but it could save you hundreds of pounds on your energy bills and help you to keep a warmer, happier, healthier home. A commercial or non-domestic Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is a certificate which details the energy efficiency of a commercial property. It’s not dissimilar to the sticker on a new domestic appliance or even a new car. Properties exempt from requiring a domestic EPC will generally require a non-dwelling energy performance certificate, the obligation for which comes from the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. Each EPC comes with a recommendation report. For a commercial EPC, each recommendation is ranked low, medium, and high against the potential impact of the change of reducing the property’s co2 emissions. For domestic EPCs, the recommendation report includes budgetary costs, and the potential rating after installation of energy efficiency upgrades have been made. New homes, marketed off-plan (before they are built), will have had SAP* calculations completed, to show how they comply with the Building Regulations. Then, before a completion certificate can be issued, a full Energy Performance Certificate must be obtained by the person responsible for the construction. This type of EPC must be done by a qualified SAP Assessor and will probably be the person who carried out the calculations for the design. Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) are required for almost all commercial and industrial use buildings, effectively those defined as non-dwellings, when they are constructed, sold, or rented out under Article 7 of the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (2002/91/EC), which all European Union member states are required to implement. To tackle this requirement in Britain compliance is covered within the Building Act 2000 Part L as amended 2006 and the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive Statutory Instrument 991:2007 within England and Wales and synonymous legislation in Scotland and Ireland. A well-thought-out strategy appertaining to non domestic epc register can offer leaps and bounds in improvements.

Legal Requirement

The MEES regulations set minimum energy efficiency levels for private, domestic rental properties. So long as your property receives an EPC rating of E or above, it is considered compliant with the current government regulations. 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. Commercial EPCs with good ratings generally have a positive impact on the market value and perception of the property. If you're a letting agent, property owner, or landlord planning to let or sell your commercial building, Prop Cert's energy assessors can be of service. Landlords should be aware that they do not have an automatic right to enter the premises using the justification of carrying out EPC improvement works. Whether a landlord has these rights if access will depend upon the lease drafting and if there is no such right then, tenant consent will be required. If consent cannot be obtained, the landlord may then be able to obtain a third-party consent exemption. Energy assessors must act in an independent manner and for ensuring the EPC is lodged on the central non-domestic EPC register. Accreditation schemes must make adequate provision to ensure that the energy assessment is carried out in an independent manner. Energy assessors must declare whether there is a conflict of interest in them undertaking an assessment. Its always best to consult the experts when considering epc commercial property these days.

Most EPC reports will include at least one recommendation on how to improve your properties rating, you are under no obligation to implement the recommendation although by doing so you may be improving the desirability of your property to prospective tenants. Where a residential EPC rating is from 1 - 100 with 100 being the best possible, a commercial rating is based on carbon output so the lower the figure the better. The commercial EPC graph will show not only the rating of the subject building, but a comparable rating from an average building as well as a rating from a building of the same size and usage but built to todays regulations. For older industrial properties, it is not unusual to see ratings of 150 or more, where a new property of the same size and use might be half that. To achieve the UK’s Net Zero Carbon target by 2050, the Government will be tightening the EPC regulations over the next few years in hopes that it will encourage enough investment to improve energy efficiency and better behaviours all-round. Since 1 April 2018, and the introduction of the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard Regulations (MEES), the EPC rating has actually meant something, as landlords are not permitted to enter into new lettings on properties with an EPC rating below the threshold E rating (subject to certain exemptions). This includes lease renewals and lease extensions, but not assignments, licences to occupy or agreements for lease. If you are concerned about your carbon footprint, an EPC can help you to understand ways in which you can reduce your effect on the environment, such as changing to energy efficient light bulbs or adding loft insulation, with your landlord’s permission. A service such as a commercial epc is an invaluable asset in the heady world of business.

Minimum Requirements

Under the current regulations a Landlord is required to provide a valid EPC when granting a new lease of a Property. This may be granting a new lease to a new tenant or renewing a lease with an existing tenant. The EPC must have a rating of E or above for the Landlord to be able to lawfully let the property. Your EPC will indicate how much it will cost to heat and power your building. The EPC also recommends the most suitable improvement measures for the given building, as well as whether you can potentially access funding to install these measures. For a domestic EPC, details are listed on potential savings that could be made should you improve the energy efficiency of your property. If you are renting a room out in your house you won’t need one. However, if you are renting a self contained flat with its own access and facilities then an EPC will need to be prepared. If the building you are looking to sell or rent is a listed building, they may be exempt from the requirement to provide an EPC if it is not possible to modify them to be more energy efficient. You can get more information appertaining to Commercial and Domestic EPC Assessors in this UK Government Portal link.

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