EPC Assessors

It’s alright, even good practise, to ask colleagues what they think when choosing Accredited Commercial Energy Assessors. This is singularly true the more demanding or urgent the decision you need to make and its effect on your company.
To avoid a property becoming unrentable in the future, take advantage of any energy efficiency improvements you can make now as part of an on-going maintenance and renewal programme. Some of these improvement works could take a significant period of time to complete. Planning now can save you time and costs, especially if the building is currently occupied, as any energy improvements that need to be undertaken could cause disruptions to current tenants. There are a range of MEES exemptions which allow you to continue letting a property with an EPC rating of F or G. Most exemptions last for five years, but some are temporary and only last for six months. These exemptions include if your property still has an EPC rating below E after you’ve spent £3,500 on improvements (known as the ‘cost cap’), or you’ve unexpectedly become a landlord. You can search for an EPC assessor on the EPC register too by selecting ‘find a domestic energy assessor’ and entering your postcode. Alternatively, there may be local assessors in your area such as myself. I own the company TP EPC and deal with clients directly or from a number of local agents who refer their clients directly to me as an alternative to in-house assessors, who normally charge a premium for their services. Part of the EPC is a recommendation report which will list the potential rating that the property could achieve, if changes were made. The report lists improvements that could be carried out and how this would change the energy and carbon emission rating of the property. The EPC provides a colour-coded and easily understandable rating of a property’s energy usage and its carbon dioxide emissions and, with the Home Report, offers advice on how to reduce carbon footprint, improve the rating – and save money. If an EPC for the property currently shows a rating of F or G, then the landlord must make improvements to bring the property up to an E rating before the relevant date. If the tenant has a right to renew under the Landlord and Tenants Act 1954, the Regulations do not interfere with these rights, therefore neither the tenant nor the landlord can use the non-compliance as a justification for refusing to renew, or terminating the lease early.

There are certain energy standards that a commercial building needs to fulfil if it wants to attract any customers or tenants. It is the responsibility of the landlords to keep up with energy-efficient standards. The periodic checkups are great because they offer solutions that allow landlords to make necessary changes to the building and improve its energy efficiency. An accredited assessor needs to carry out an assessment in order for you to receive an EPC for your property. You can find an assessor through the the Domestic Energy Performance Certificate Register. When a building or building unit is offered for sale or rent, the asset rating of the building in the EPC must be stated in commercial media where one is available. This would include, but is not restricted to, newspapers and magazines, written material produced by the seller, landlord or estate or letting agent that describes the building being offered for sale or rent or the internet. It’s illegal to let a commercial property with an F or G rating, unless there’s a valid exemption, and you can be fined between £500 and £5,000 based on the rateable value of the building if you don’t make an EPC available to any prospective buyer or tenant. Its always best to consult the experts when considering non domestic epc register these days.

Looking Up An EPC
Most our Energy Assessors are full accredited, polite and professional extending these qualities to you and your property. All commercial properties require an Energy Performance Certificate when being sold or let. Ratings are often used by tenants or potential buyers to make energy comparisons between properties. By law, most properties, domestic or commercial, require an Energy Performance Certificate, regardless of whether the property is owned, leased, rented or about to be sold. Only a qualified, accredited assessor can award an EPC. For commercial landlords, environmental standards are set to reach new heights from 2023. Currently, Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) prevent landlords of commercial properties in England and Wales from granting new leases unless they have an EPC rating of E or higher. These rules do not apply to existing leases. If you have a building (with a roof and walls) that uses energy to condition the indoor climate (i.e. has heating, air conditioning or mechanical ventilation) then you will require an EPC when it is sold or let. Parts of a building designed or altered to be used as separate accommodation may require their own EPC. You will require professional advice if you are looking into a considerable improvement of your commercial EPC rating or commissioning an initial EPC for your commercial premises. Unlike a domestic EPC, obtaining of a commercial EPC can be a lengthy process and could take several weeks. Professional assistance in relation to commercial epc can make or break a commercial building project.

If you want to challenge your EPC rating or your certificate contains an error you should contact the energy assessor who carried out the report first. You’ll find their details on the energy performance certificate and you can ask them to re-assess your home based on your concerns. For example if you think they recorded the wrong appliances on your EPC or that they missed off an important factor. But if you’re not happy with the response you can appeal to the accreditation scheme the assessor is licensed by. You should also find the details on your certificate. EPC stands for Energy Performance Certificate. The Department for Communities and Local Government suggest that buildings and the way in which we use them account for 40% of the UK’s energy consumption and carbon emissions. The EPC was introduced in the UK to meet the standards set out in the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). An EPC is required when a building is built, sold or rented out. It provides a rating indicating the energy efficiency of the building based upon the fabric, heating, cooling, ventilation, lighting and hot water. Prior to a commercial EPC Assessment we recommend that owners and occupiers have details readily available of the types of engineering services, windows and insulation installed, which is usually held in the operations and maintenance (O&M) manuals for the building. EPCs provide suggestions on how to improve the energy efficiency rating, including the score it could potentially reach with improvements, like insulating where needed. These certificates are valid for 10 years – and are a legal requirement if you’re trying to sell or let a property. An Energy Performance Certificate is a digital record of the energy efficiency of your home or another type of property. The EPC contains a rating from A (meaning the most energy efficient property) to G (meaning the least energy efficiency property). The EPC contains information about how a property uses energy and likely energy costs. It also includes recommendations about measures which can be undertaken to improve the rating of the EPC. Conducting viability appraisals with respect to mees is useful from the outset of any project.

Fast, Efficient And Reliable Service
Only authorised and regulated domestic energy assessors can issue your property with an EPC. As Estate Agents we already have a working relationship with assessors and can arrange an inspection for you if you require. Alternatively you can check for accredited assessors in your local area on the government website. CIBSE certified Low Carbon Energy Assessors (LCEAs) have undertaken additional training so that, not only are they able to provide you with an energy performance certificate, they can also provide tailored advice to help you cut the energy costs and carbon emissions in your buildings. An energy performance certificate shows the Energy Efficiency Rating which is a measure of the home’s overall efficiency. The certificate also lists actions you can take to save money on energy bills and approximate savings costs. Not sure where your EPC is? Keen to know your home’s energy efficiency rating? If you’re in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, you can find your certificate on the UK government’s website. If you don’t have an EPC or need to renew it, you can also use the government site to find an assessor to examine your property and determine its current energy efficiency rating. Scotland has a Scottish EPC Register, where you can track down your EPC and find an assessor. An EPC is about the building and not about how the current residents live. If you live a low energy lifestyle, this will not be accounted for in the EPC rating. For instance, you may turn off lights and equipment when not in use, manage your heating efficiently, or choose low energy appliances. The estimated heating, lighting and hot water bills are based on the ‘average’ household and not on the actual energy consumption of the current occupants. An understanding of the challenges met by mees regulations can enhance the value of a project.

Energy Performance Certificates are valid for 10 years from the date of issue. That means, when viewing a property you may be looking at an EPC that is already quite out of date. Energy Performance Certificates are carried out by qualified energy assessors who will collect the data on site and then process the information into SBEM (Simplified Building Energy Model) which will calculate the energy rating of the building. This is required as part of the EU directive (EPBD). The assessor will also have the discretion to add or delete aspects of the report in relation to what he thinks is most relevant or beneficial to the owner in terms of new technology and systems that will improve the carbon footprint of the building. You will need an EPC within seven days of a property being marketed for sale or for rent – although if you are using an estate agent or letting agent, they should do this on your behalf. EPCs became a legal requirement in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2008, and in Scotland in 2009. Sellers and landlords who do not have an EPC can be fined up to £5,000. As from the 1st April 2018 there will be a requirement for any properties rented out in the private rented sector to normally have a minimum energy performance rating of E on an Energy EPC. The regulations will come into force for new lets and renewals of tenancies with effect from 1st April 2018 and for all existing tenancies on 1st April 2020. It will be unlawful to rent a property which breaches the requirement for a minimum E rating, unless there is an applicable exemption. Tackling emissions from UK homes – responsible for about 15% of UK greenhouse gas emissions – will be key to enabling the government hit its climate targets. As such, the UK government wants to upgrade as many homes as possible to an EPC rating of C by 2035, although critics say this deadline should be bought forward to as early as 2028. In any case, it puts the owners of the 19 million UK homes currently below a C rating in something of a predicament, as housing experts now warn that non-energy efficient homes are at risk of becoming unmortgageable and therefore difficult to sell. A well-thought-out strategy appertaining to epc commercial property can offer leaps and bounds in improvements.

Commercial Energy Performance Certificate
If you are renting your commercial property and the EPC rating comes back as F or G, you are required to carry out the recommended works to make your commercial property more energy efficient up to a cost of £3,500. You do not need to get an EPC if you are renting your commercial property from someone else. Most landlords and commercial agents will be aware that as of 1 April 2018 it has been unlawful to let a commercial property with an Energy Performance Certificate rating of ‘F’ or ‘G’ (the two lowest grades of energy efficiency). This applies to both new leases and renewal leases. With effect from May 20th 2010 the Government announced that HIPs were to be suspended. As a result a HIP is no longer a requirement, however, an Energy Performance Certificate is still required if you are marketing your property, even if it’s just putting a ‘for sale’ sign in the window, you need an EPC. One can uncover supplementary information appertaining to Accredited Commercial Energy Assessors on this UK Government Portal web page.

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