Energy Performance Certificates - how will they affect you?

• Posted by Karyn Middleton on 1st Sep ’08 at 09:21 UTC
• 0 comments

Building owners and agents are bracing themselves for major changes in the information which will need to be provided by law, at the point most commercial properties are offered for sale or let.

From October 1st 2008, all commercial properties greater than 50 square metres, which are either newly constructed or offered for sale or rent, must have an up to date Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).

The initiate is part of a raft of measures which aim to raise awareness of a property′s energy performance. Each EPC has two primary elements, firstly the certificate which ranks an individual building rated from G to A+, and secondly a report which includes cost-effective recommendations to improve the energy rating.

David Jones, planning partner at Evans Jones LLP confirms: "Whilst the requirement for an EPC for domestic properties has been reasonably well publicised through the Home Information Packs (HIPs) initiative, the same cannot be said of Energy Performance Certificates for non-residential properties. Most developers and commercial agents whom I have questioned, whilst aware that they will need to do ‘something’ are currently playing a waiting game. Most are happy to wait until October 1st to ‘see what happens’”.

The enforcement of the regulations is vested in the Trading Standards Office for properties for sale or rent, and the Local Building Control Office for newly constructed, non-residential properties.

David Jones continued: “It is yet to be seen how effective Trading Standards Officers will be in enforcing the new EPC regime. It is likely to be complaint driven in the first instance, although the question remains, will solicitors acting for prospective tenants or purchasers allow transactions to complete with no EPC in place? Those selling or letting a property will not appreciate the process being delayed at the eleventh hour whilst an EPC is completed”.

“The position is slightly more encouraging for brand new developments. At the planning stage higher standards are being enforced through planning conditions, and Building Control has the power to refuse to issue a completion certificate until a valid EPC is produced.”

The various bodies running accreditation schemes for energy performance assessments remain concerned that there are insufficient approved assessors to handle the anticipated workload. David Jones considers: “This is a fair criticism of the scheme, with nobody really knowing the likely demand for assessments. We have seen enquiries from the public sector increase tenfold over the past few weeks as we near the deadline of 1st October for production of Display Energy Certificates (DEC) for public buildings.”

Evans Jones LLP has a partnering arrangement with one of the country’s leading assessment providers. David Jones concludes: “The provision of a compliant assessment for older properties necessitates the gathering of a significant amount of on-site data, including producing floor plans (if none are available), details of heating controls, thermal insulation levels etc. Our surveyors are used to gathering such information on site and it was thus an obvious progression to partner with a high quality energy assessment practice”.

For further information please contact David Jones or John Everitt of Evans Jones LLP 01245 522822.