EPC Assessors

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I was working in the study the other day looking into Non-Domestic Energy Performance Certificate Contractors and I came up with this piece.

Domestic Energy Performance Certificates (also called EPCs and Energy Efficiency Certificates). The Energy Performance Certificate is similar to the certificates now provided with domestic appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines. Its purpose is to record how energy-efficient a property is as a building. The certificate will provide a rating of the property from A to G, where A is very efficient and G is very inefficient. SAP EPCs are required specifically for newly built properties, properties that have been recently converted and properties that have increased their number of dwelling. A site visit isn’t required to get an SAP EPC; a qualified SAP energy assessor can complete this desktop-based task efficiently. An EPC rating is valid for ten years. Once older than ten years, a new one will need to be issued before a landlord can legally rent the property out or sell it. The EPC report shows two ratings because one is the current rating. The other is an estimation of the potential rating the property may be able to achieve should you make the necessary energy efficiency improvements. An Energy Performance Certificate, or EPC for short, is a report that assesses the energy efficiency of a property. It includes an estimation of the energy costs for your home and a breakdown of the energy performance of critical features of your home. An EPC tells you how energy efficient your property is on a scale of A-G with A being the most efficient. The certificate also tells you on a scale of A-G about the impact the property has on the environment. The EPC will make recommendations about how a property’s energy efficiency can be improved, and will show the potential rating is these works are carried out. The average property in the UK is rated D-E. If you are planning on selling or renting out your residential property, it is a legal requirement to have a domestic EPC carried out. This has been the law since 2008 and it is designed to help potential buyers or tenants make an informed decision about buying or renting the property.



Since it was first introduced in England and Wales in 2006, the EPC is now a legal requirement for a building to be sold, let or constructed. Once the Energy Performance Certificate is issued, it is the owner or landlord’s responsibility to keep it up-to-date. A rental property with a good EPC rating is a good advert for potential tenants as it gives a guide to the running costs of the dwelling over a three year period with regards to lighting, heating and hot water. As a responsible landlord, you must only use an accredited Domestic Energy Assessor when acquiring the EPC for your property. To find a list of approved EPC organisations in the UK, check the energy performance certificate register. Unfortunately, there is no fixed rate for EPC’s currently, however prices usually start at £35. Factors such as the size of the property, the type of property, how many bedrooms it has and its location are all taken into consideration. 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. You may be asking yourself how does a mees regulations fit into all of this?
 

SAP And SBEM Calculations

There are consequences if a Landlord continues to let, or grants a new lease of, a property that does not hold the required EPC rating. If the breach has occurred for a period of less than 3 months, a maximum fine of £5,000 or 10% of the rateable value of the property can be imposed. Where this breach occurs for over 3 months, the maximum fine payable doubles to £10,000 or 20% of the rateable value. An EPC will list different ways to improve your rating and provide indicative costs. These improvements will help not only you but also buyers and tenants save on bills. Additionally, they will help lessen the environmental impact of the property. There is a common misunderstanding relating to listed buildings and whether they are exempt from the requirement to obtain an EPC. Listed properties, and buildings within a conservation area, will not necessarily be exempt from the requirement to have a valid EPC and it’s down to the owner of a listed building to understand whether or not their property is required to have an EPC. The penalty for failing to have an EPC in place while a building is being marketed is 12.5% of the Rateable Value, subject to a minimum of £500 and a maximum of £5,000, enforced by local Trading Standards officers. The penalty is repeated every 28 days if an EPC is still not prepared. Much like the A–G rating scale used for fridges and other electrical appliances, an EPC gives a property an energy efficiency rating from A, which is the most efficient, down to an undesirable G. The average EPC rating for a home in the UK is D. New-build homes are normally more energy efficient than older ones, and so tend to have high ratings. A service such as a commercial epc is an invaluable asset in the heady world of business.

The minimum energy efficiency standards (MEES) make it unlawful for a landlord to grant a new tenancy or to extend or renew an existing tenancy of certain property having an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of F or G unless all the relevant energy efficiency improvements for the property have been made or an exemption applies. Unfortunately, an EPC is not ALWAYS entirely accurate due to the longevity and there a lot of assumptions made. A good EPC rating is anything above a B. The best energy performance rating is ‘A’, which means a property has an efficiency score of between 92-100. The closer you can get to this score, the better. However, most properties aren’t this energy efficient. The average rating for a property in the UK is ‘D’ - meaning they have an energy rating between 55-68. EPCs are regulated by the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015. The regulations aim to reduce the carbon dioxide emission of property’s and ‘call out’ non-domestic properties which are not energy efficient. If your property benefits from a good energy rating, it will be more attractive to prospective tenants. Tenant turnover may well be reduced. Ensuring your tenants are happy is of upmost importance. For example, if you owned a business producing a certain product, you wouldn’t sell sub-par and defect products, otherwise you would have unhappy customers who wouldn’t come back. Treat your tenant like a customer and provide them the best possible living conditions. Do your research about non domestic epc register before entering into any long term transactions.
 

Trading Standards

New build energy assessments are required both before and after construction, with calculations and EPCs sent to Building control for sign off. Regional building regulations will establish a target that your dwelling must meet in order to achieve sign off. 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. The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) was launched in April 2018. This requires all rented or sold properties in England and Wales to have a minimum EPC rating of ‘E’ or above. In December 2020, the government announced yet another change to the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards. They proposed that all rental properties will need an EPC rating of ‘C’ or above by 2025. When buying, renting or building a home, Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) are very important as they provide a rating for how much energy our homes use, which can help us to understand the impact they have on the environment. The Government’s aim is to reduce energy consumption. It is only a matter of time before business rates are linked to energy efficiency. EPCs are also compulsory. The energy performance certificate is an opportunity for you to improve you property’s marketability and value. The value of the property will have a direct correlation with how energy efficient it is in both letting and sales. A solid understanding of epc commercial property makes any related process simple and hassle free.

There are fines for non-compliance with EPC regulations. The owner of any domestic building can be fined £200 if an EPC is not issued when constructed or renovated or before a sale or rental agreement. For commercial properties, the penalty is 12.5 % of the rateable value of the building. The penalties range from £500 to a maximum of £5,000. EPCs have started to play a more dominant role in rental properties since May this year where the 3 phase Minimum Efficiency Standard Regulation commenced its final third stage. In April 2016 MEES commenced stating, ALL domestic tenants HAD the right to request energy efficiency improvements to their property. Efficiency improvements that may cause minimal harm to the aesthetic and structural integrity of a building can include switching to a renewable energy source, installing a more efficient boiler and draught-proofing. There are some government grants which can be accessed to get funding towards energy saving measures, including the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) and the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund (GDHIF). For these grants, home owners will also need to have an EPC. A commercial Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is required when almost any commercial building is sold, let or has solar PV panels fitted. From 2018 it will be necessary to meet the Minimum Energy Performance Standard which is widely expected to be an EPC “E” rating. A team of Energy Assessors and Chartered Surveyors are uniquely placed to give advice on mees and provide a complete energy consultancy service.
 

Commercial EPCs Explained

Storage heaters are cheaper to run, making use of low rate night-time electricity. However, the total amount of electricity used by storage heaters are higher than that of conventional panel heaters. So, while energy efficiency is improved due to low running costs, high energy use worsens the environmental impact. Usually, storage heaters are recommended in EPC suggestions. 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. The potential for negative impact on the property is another legitimate reason for MEES exemption. In this scenario, an independent qualified surveyor must judge that the necessary energy-efficiency improvements would reduce the property’s market value by more than 5%. As reasonable, an EPC Certificate cost is necessary. Stumble upon more details about Non-Domestic Energy Performance Certificate Contractors in this UK Government Portal entry.
 

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