<>AB Energy Assessors<> Energy Assessor in Dorset

What is an EPC and what does it mean?

The EPC looks broadly similar to the energy labels now provided with vehicles and many household appliances. Its purpose is to indicate how energy efficient a building is. The certificate will provide an energy rating of the building from A to G, where A is very efficient and G is the least efficient. The better the rating, the more energy-efficient the building is, and the lower the fuel bills are likely to be. The energy performance of the building is shown as a Carbon Dioxide (CO2) based index.

Each energy rating is based on the characteristics of the building itself and its services (such as heating and lighting). Hence this type of rating is known as an asset rating.

The asset ratings will reflect considerations including the age and condition of the building. It is accompanied by a recommendation report, which provides recommendations on using the building more effectively, cost effective improvements to the building and other more expensive improvements which could enhance the building's energy performance.

Responsibilities for providing EPCs when selling or letting a non-dwelling

As soon as a building is in the process of being offered for sale, it is the responsibility of the seller to make available an EPC to prospective buyers free of charge.

As soon as a building is in the process of being offered to let, it is the responsibility of the prospective landlord to make available an EPC to prospective tenants.

It is the responsibility of the seller or landlord offering the accommodation for sale or let to make an EPC available for their building. A lease assignment would be considered to be a sale and the assignor should provide the EPC. The seller or landlord is responsible for ensuring there is an EPC for the building, or part of the building, being sold or let, even if an agent or another service organisation is acting on their behalf or providing an EPC. The seller or landlord should therefore ensure any agents acting on their behalf are complying with the Regulations.

Responsibilities for providing an EPC on construction or modification of a non-dwelling

When a building being constructed is physically complete, it is the responsibility of the person carrying out the construction to give an EPC and recommendation report to the building owner and to notify Building Control that this has been done. Building Control will not issue a certificate of completion until they are satisfied this has been done.

If a building is modified to have more or fewer parts than it originally had and the modification includes the provision or extension of fixed services for heating, air conditioning or mechanical ventilation (ie those services that condition the indoor climate for the benefits of the occupants) then an EPC will be required. When the modifications are physically complete, it is the responsibility of the person carrying out the modification works to give an EPC and recommendation report to the building owner and to notify Building Control that this has been done. Building Control will not issue a certificate of completion until they are satisfied this has been done.

Transactions not considered to be a sale or let

The purpose of providing an EPC during the sale or letting process is to enable potential buyers or tenants to consider the energy performance of a building as part of their investment. Not all transactions will be considered to be a sale or let to which the duties apply.

These will include:-

• Lease renewals or extensions
• Compulsory purchase orders
• Sales of shares in a company where buildings remain in
• company ownership
• Lease surrenders.

There may be other types of transaction that it might be argued do not require an EPC, for example, living accommodation at a workplace and tied to a job, or not-for-value transactions, but this will depend on the individual circumstances of any case.

The Government's own information about Commercial Energy Certificates can be found here.

EPCs How they are produced and what they will tell you

A Commercial EPC will be issued after an inspection by our qualified Non-Domestic Energy Assessor (dipNDEA); the certificate produced will contain the following information:

• Details of your property, its address, date of report and property size in square metres
• o A table with headline performance ratings calculated in terms of the average energy use per square metre of floor area showing your property compared to a typical property of its type and size
• Recommended measures to improve the property's performance ratings. These may typically include changes to lighting, insulation or installing a more energy-efficient heating

It will not state the cost of these improvements - which will vary according to the cost of local labour and the materials used - but it will band them into low, medium and high cost relative to the typical payback period.

The EPC will be accompanied by a Recommendations Report containing measures that the Energy Assessor selects as being appropriate. The EPC will measure overall energy efficiency using SBEM (Simplified Building Energy Model), which takes account of the size of the property, its structure, insulation, heating, etc.

Contact us today for a quotation, if you are able to provide scaled drawings including elevations, details of the building specification and mechanical and electrical specifications we will be able to effect considerable fee savings for you.