Working our way through a hard decision, such as investing in Domestic and Commercial EPC Assessors,
can give us a kind of constricted vision, where we get so absorbed on
the immediate consequences of the decision at hand that we don’t think
about the final outcomes we desire.
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. 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. The sale and let of commercial
buildings can be complex with floors let to different tenants, and with a
mixture of retail, office and residential accommodation. The government
have estimated that around 18% of commercial properties are in the EPC
‘F’ and ‘G’ rating brackets. This will have an effect on commercial
property landlords as it could impact your ability to let or continue to
let such properties. Alongside this it could impact rent reviews which
you have with your client and the valuation of the property. If you
don’t already have a valid EPC, you’ll need to organise an assessment.
The cost will depend on the size of your property and the assessor you
choose. You can organise getting an EPC through the government’s
register, which will show you all the accredited providers in your area.
The cost of an EPC can range from a minimum of around £60, so it’s
worth getting a few quotes. If you’re looking to sell a property you
will need to order an Energy Performance Certificate before you market
the property to sell. As the property owner, you are responsible for
obtaining an EPC for potential buyers. Improving energy efficiency is
the best long term solution to tackling fuel poverty and is integral to
achieving the fuel poverty target and interim milestones. The UK is
making good progress here. There are 1.2 million fewer low-income
households living in the least energy efficient homes (Band E, F or G)
today compared to 2010.
It's
no secret that energy efficiency is one of the key priorities for the
government. From 1 July 2020, all commercial property must meet new
minimum energy efficiency standards. This means that landlords,
investors, developers and lenders will have to take energy consumption
into account when assessing and managing their property. There are a
number of ways to comply with these requirements, including improving
thermal insulation or installing solar panels and wind turbines. Net
Zero is a global imperative. To reach Net Zero and limit global warming,
governments, public sector bodies, corporate organisations, financial
services, regions and cities must focus on delivering ambitious climate
action plans. Any property that is built, sold or rented needs an EPC.
As a rule, it’s a requirement that properties in England, Scotland and
Wales have an EPC in place before marketing of the property commences.
In the United Kingdom, all buildings that have been sold, rented, or
recently built must have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). It is
an official document which explains how energy efficient a building is.
Although most property owners only obtain an EPC when it is mandated by
the government, there are several additional benefits associated with
getting one You may be asking yourself how does a
commercial epc fit into all of this?
Building Regulations UK Report
An
EPC is a report drawn up by an accredited domestic energy assessor.
They’ll visit your home to check how much energy it takes to power the
property and keep it warm. Property with the best ratings are more
attractive to potential tenants and buyers as they are cheaper to run.
Not having a valid Commercial EPC can be a real inconvenience for both
owners and property agents. If you want to rent or sell a commercial
premises or the building has just been constructed then a commercial EPC
will need to be undertaken – this is a legal requirement. The EPC is
valid for 10 years. Please note if the building has a significant
update, for example change of use, changes to the fabric, significant
extension or additions to the property and/or changes to the provision
of fixed services then a new EPC must be produced. If there are
modifications to the existing premises after the original transaction
date then a new EPC should be produced. To become a member of an
accreditation scheme the energy assessor must: demonstrate their
competence, either by having a recognised qualification from an awarding
body or approved prior experience and learning equivalent to the
national occupational standard requirements; maintain appropriate
professional indemnity cover • update their skills and knowledge
regularly; participate in the accreditation scheme quality assurance
procedures and abide by the accredited scheme advice and guidance.
Energy Performance Certificates are easy enough to sort out when it
comes to selling or renting your home. Whether you book one directly
with a Domestic Energy Assessor or arrange the assessment through your
estate agent, the certificate will give you a good handle on the energy
efficiency of your home and ways that you can save money. A solid
understanding of
mees regulations makes any related process simple and hassle free.
An
Energy Performance Certificate, or EPC, is required whenever a property
is built, sold or rented, and must be obtained before a property can be
marketed for sale or rent. It gives a property an energy efficiency
rating from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient) and is valid for
10 years. There are several reasons to improve your EPC rating, from
cutting down on the everyday running costs of your home, to achieving a
higher sale price when you come to sell it. An EPC should be clear and
easy to understand. The address at the top of the document should be
correct, while elements such as Date of Assessment, Date of Certificate,
Reference Number and Total Floor Area should all be fairly
self-explanatory. The Type of Assessment field will show either SAP or
RDSAP - these are the two types of assessment methodology, where RDSAP
stands for Reduced SAP and is a cheaper assessment method. A qualified,
accredited Non Domestic Energy Assessor performs a commercial EPC. For
buildings that are already in use, a site visit will be required. For a
newly built property, no site visit is usually required as assessors
carry out a desktop exercise done from the building plans. If a landlord
rents out a property with an EPC rating of F or G without a statutory
exemption, they will probably face enforcement action. We're looking for
private rented homes that breach the regulations, so do not wait. Most
freehold and leasehold properties in the UK need an EPC. Although there
are a few exceptions, the reality is that most properties let within the
private rented sector will need to comply. Maximising potential for
mees isn't the same as meeting client requirements and expectations.
Building Compliance
Since
2012, an energy performance certificate, often referred to as an EPC,
has been legally required for the sale and leases of commercial
properties. It is the responsibility of the Landlord or Seller to ensure
that a valid EPC is in place prior to advertising or agreeing to a
lease or sale of the property. An EPC energy assessor will need to visit
your property to conduct an energy survey. The assessor will need to
access all rooms, including any lofts or extensions. They will also be
required to inspect your heating systems and controls, take measurements
and take photographs of all key data included in the survey. An EPC
gives information on how energy efficient a building is and sets out how
this can be improved. It is a legal requirement to provide an EPC when a
commercial property over a certain size is sold or leased. An Action
Plan (specifying improvement measures) must also accompany the EPC for
all properties for sale/lease over 1,000m². DEAs are domestic energy
assessors who carry out this assessment and produce the certificate.
These DEAs are trained in this task and only accredited DEAs are allowed
to produce the EPC document. They are members of a government-approved
accreditation scheme. In fact, the demand for assessors has led to
several jobs being created in the energy assessment field for this
occupation. It is important to search for accredited assessors, and
always ask for their ID cards when they visit a property. An EPC informs
the landlord, tenant or property owner of ways in which they can
improve the energy efficiency of the property and the positive effects
that such changes will have to the property, its efficiency and the
bills following thereafter. A team of Energy Assessors and Chartered
Surveyors are uniquely placed to give advice on
epc commercial property and provide a complete energy consultancy service.
An
EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) rates the relative energy
efficiency of your home or commercial property. A qualified assessor
visits your property and looks at every aspect of the building and the
systems within it and gives it a rating from A-G, with A being the most
efficient property possible. Landlords are required by law to ensure
that their properties meet the required EPC rating. Currently, all
commercial property must hold an EPC rating of band ‘E’ or better prior
to any new leases or renewals being granted. From 1 April 2023 this will
be extended to all rented commercial properties. This will include
properties where the leases are mid-term. An EPC can also be used as a
great bargaining chip. If you’re considering buying a property with a
low EPC rating, this could help you negotiate the house price down.
Alternatively, you might also be able to haggle a lower rent. Energy
Performance Certificates are important because they allow prospective
buyers and tenants to access the energy efficiency of a building before
deciding whether they want to live in such a property. EPCs are also
important because they give suggestions on how to make a building more
energy- efficient thus reducing the energy usage of that building.
Installing a new more energy-efficient boiler can reduce the energy
consumption of your property. Other recommendations may include
considering renewable energy technology, such as solar panels or heat
pumps to power that boiler. A service such as a
non domestic epc register is an invaluable asset in the heady world of business.
The Future Of EPCs
Urban
myth says that Listed Buildings do not require an EPC. However, current
guidance from DLUHC (Dept. for Leveling Up, Housing and Communities)
via the Assessor Accreditation Schemes is that only the Conservation
Officers at your Local Authority Planning Dept., can decide if the
Recommendations on a valid EPC are unsuitable to be implemented because
"works would unacceptably alter the character or appearance of a
building" that is a Listed building or one that is in a Conservation
Area. An energy performance certificate demonstrates the energy
efficiency of a property. It will include information on the
energy-saving measures already in place (such as double glazing,
insulation, solar panels, etc.) as well as the estimated energy costs
for the building based on its average use. Local and state governments
find it challenging to adopt aggressive residential building codes that
require energy-efficiency upgrades beyond those with a reasonable
payback. Thus, economic considerations inhibit the progress towards a
more energy-efficient housing stock and often account for direct utility
savings. Check out additional insights on the topic of Domestic and
Commercial EPC Assessors on this
UK Government Portal link.
Related Articles:
Supplementary Information On Commercial Energy Performance ContractorsAdditional Information About Non-Domestic Energy Performance Certificate ContractorsBackground Information With Regard To Commercial Energy Performance Certificate ContractorsMore Background Information On Qualified Domestic Energy ContractorsSupplementary Findings About Professionally Qualified Domestic Energy ContractorsAdditional Information With Regard To Non-Domestic EPC AssessorsBackground Insight With Regard To Professionally Qualified Domestic Energy Contractors
