Commercial EPC

CONTACT@DIRECTEPC.CO.UK

A commercial Energy Performance Certificate (or commercial EPC for short), is a government mandated document that indicates and communicates the energy efficiency of a commercial property.

All owners of business premises need to get an up-to-date commercial EPC if they want to sell or let out the property and it is a legal requirement. The EPC survey must be carried out by a fully accredited and registered energy efficiency assessor in the UK.

The purpose of a commercial EPC is to ensure that businesses are making the effort to keep their premises energy efficient, which helps the environment by preventing energy waste. It also helps businesses to keep their energy costs down. The EPC document gives details on the property and can help business and commercial property owners to estimate energy costs over the course of one year.

How does a commercial EPC work?

A commercial EPC document has a distinctive, colour-coded style that grades energy performance using the letters A through to G.

‘A’ represents the highest possible energy efficiency rating, with a green colour.

‘G’ represents the least possible energy efficiency rating, with a red colour.

The EPC certificate remains valid for ten years after the date of issue.

A numerical score is also awarded to the building, from 0 to 150+, with 0 being high efficiency and 150+ representing low efficiency.

Anybody that owns a non-domestic or commercial property that they plan to sell or rent out in the UK, is legally obliged to do so. The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) Legislation of April 2018 is in force in England and Wales. Listed buildings are an exception to these regulations and may not require a commercial EPC.

How to get a commercial EPC

People that own commercial or non-domestic properties need to make sure that they have applied for and received a valid EPC before they sell or rent out the premises.

The EPC process involves booking a certified energy assessor to come out and survey the commercial property. They will inspect and survey the building, take measurements, record any relevant data, and do a complete energy assessment on the property. Often, they will take photographs and write notes on things like heat insulation, HVAC systems, and any other relevant information as evidence for the report.

Once the energy assessor has completed their survey and assessment, they write up a report and use software to analyse the results. Specialist software is used to generate the EPC gradings and create the commercial EPC certificate, the details of which are then stored on a government database.

What happens if you don’t get a commercial EPC?

Due to the fact that a commercial EPC is a legal requirement, if you don’t get one in place, then try to sell or rent out the non-domestic property, and an inspector notices the omission, you will receive a hefty fine and prosecution.

The penalty charge notice or fine varies in value depending on the size and nature of the business, but can exceed £5000 in many cases.

How to find commercial EPC records

Details of the valid commercial EPCs in the UK are stored on a government database, which includes address information. The commercial EPC is valid for ten years and remains valid after sale, so it can be used by a future owner for as long as it remains in date.

You can easily check whether the commercial property has an EPC that is up to date and valid by visiting the national EPC register here.