Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
Energy Performance Certificates
Maximise the value of your building through improved energy efficiency
An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is required by law on construction, let, or sale of a commercial building over 50m², with fines of a maximum £5,000 for non-compliance.
How energy efficient is your building?
EPC’s indicate the intrinsic energy performance potential of a building using a rating system from A-G, where A is very efficient and G is the least efficient. As such, the EPC rating will affect the rental and saleable value of your buildings.
Ensuring a good energy rating is critical in this increasingly competitive environment and there is also the opportunity to reduce tenants’ exposure to rising energy costs.
The production of your EPC’s in advance of the sale or let of a building will give you sufficient time to improve the energy rating (known as the Asset Rating), thus maximising future sale and/or rental values.
When is a commercial EPC required?
As soon as a building is in the process of being offered for sale or rent, it is the responsibility of the seller or landlord (i.e. the relevant person) to arrange an EPC, free of charge to any prospective buyer or tenant. The EPC must be provided by the seller or landlord at the earliest opportunity.
Before a building is put on the market the seller or landlord must commission an EPC for the building.
If you require an EPC then it is very important that you are aware of the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard Legislation (MEES).
Are there any exemption to having a Commercial EPC?
EPCs are not required for:
- Places of worship
- Temporary buildings with a planned use of less than two years
- Industrial sites, workshops and non-residential agricultural buildings with a low energy demand
- EPCs are not required for buildings due to be demolished, even if they are available for sale or rent, provided the seller or landlord can demonstrate that:
- the building is to be sold or rented out with vacant possession
- the building is suitable for demolition and the resulting site is suitable for redevelopment
- all relevant planning permissions, listed building consents and conservation area consents exist in relation to the demolition, and they believe, on reasonable grounds, that a prospective buyer or tenant intends to demolish the building (e.g., on evidence of an application for planning permission)
What are the penalties for not having an EPC?
The penalty for failing to make an EPC available to any prospective buyer or tenant when selling or renting a non-domestic dwelling is fixed, in most cases, at 12.5 per cent of the rateable value of the building, with a default penalty of £750 where the formula cannot be applied. The range of penalties under this formula are set with a minimum of £500 and capped at a maximum of £5,000.
How energy efficient is your building?
Our service offers compliance while maximising the value of your buildings through site investigations, virtual EPC modelling and strategic advice.
Our Compliance EPC enables us to provide a cost effective EPC to comply with current legislation. We can compile the required information quickly and effectively to ensure the EPC is in place as quickly as possible. Background data from the client is useful, such as floor plans, building services details and construction standards. However, a site survey will be undertaken to assess the building and establish energy performance issues.
Our Optimisation EPC is designed to allow us to work closely with organisations in advance of the building construction, let or sale to ensure
energy performance is optimised to provide improved EPC energy ratings. The service includes virtual EPC modelling to identify the most cost effective energy saving measures which, once implemented, will deliver a significant improvement in the EPC asset rating and hence building value. Studies have shown that this can increase the building value by up to 15%.
Our New Build EPC offers a low cost solution for new developments where EPCs can be produced using architectural and building services plans and associated information, thus mitigating the need for a site survey. This means EPCs can be produced quickly and at low cost.
The assessment may be supported by a telephone or electronic survey to obtain ancillary information for the EPC calculations and for producing the mandatory Recommendations Report.
Where can I find my EPC?
Every EPC produced should be lodged on the government Central register which can be found here.
Special offer
If you need an EPC, it is very important you are aware of the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard Legislation (MEES). When you engage Briar to improve your EPC Asset Rating for MEES we can produce your EPCs free of charge.
Note on TM44 – if your property has an air conditioning system over 12kW then you are also legally required to have a TM44 certificate and report. We can produce this at the same time as the EPC survey to save money by taking care of two services in one survey.
Resources
Are you ticking every box for energy compliance? Download our A to Z guide.
Maximise the value of your building through improved energy efficiency
