Selecting the ideal Non-Domestic EPC Contractors for you can be difficult. With a profusion of differing types available, focusing the options can be challenging. Here, our aim is to assist you make the best decision.
As a commercial property landlord, you have a lot of responsibilities, from ensuring the health and safety of the building to keeping on top of structural repairs. Since 2018, landlords have also been responsible for ensuring their properties comply with the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES). The legal responsibility to have an EPC assessment lies with the organisation that has placed the building on the market, such as the landlord, the company seeking an assignment, or subtenant. The marketing agent also has a legal responsibility to have EPCs in place for the buildings they are advertising. For landlords, EPCs are even more crucial. Since April 2020, landlords are forbidden under law from renting or continuing to rent their property if they have an EPC rating below E. Landlords whose properties are rated F or G must improve their rating to E or above or register an exemption. You will never be expected to spend more than £3,500 (including VAT) on energy improvements. If you cannot improve your property to an EPC rating of E for £3,500, you should make all the improvements up to that amount, then register an ‘all improvements made’ exemption. For a building to fall within the requirement for an EPC it must have a roof and walls and use energy to condition the indoor climate. Services considered to condition the indoor climate are the following fixed services: heating, mechanical ventilation or air-conditioning. Although the provision of hot water is a fixed building service, it does not condition the indoor environment and would not, therefore, be a trigger for an EPC. An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is needed when a new building is constructed or when an existing buildings is marketed for sale or rent. An EPC enables you to consider energy efficiency and potential energy costs. EPCs are also needed for buildings with multiple tenancies and let for different uses, with a mixture of retail, office and/or residential accommodation. For a property to require an EPC, it must have a roof and walls and must use energy to condition the indoor climate. For example it must have one of heating, mechanical ventilation or air conditioning.
Properties that do not require an EPC under current regulations will not be required to meet MEES. Moreover MEES does not apply to short lettings (6 months or less) and lettings over 99 years or more. Financial penalties for non compliance are linked to the rateable value of the property, but could be as much as £150,000. EPCs are valid for 10 years. They were introduced to England and Wales in 2007. This means that depending on when you moved into your property, your certificate may already be valid. You can use the EPC register’s look-up tool to check if you have one and if it’s still valid. An EPC contains estimated energy costs over a three year period for your home, as well as ‘top actions’ for improving efficiency and saving money. However, the estimated energy costs recorded in the certificate do not include the costs of running appliances such as TVs, computers or washing machines, nor does it include any electricity produced by microgeneration. The EPC register is the government's online database of every EPC in the UK. You can search for a property's energy performance certificate by postcode. This is useful for looking up your own certificate, or for finding the certificate of a property you are considering moving into. There are multiple approaches to facilitating a non domestic epc register in the workplace.
EPC Breakdown
Where a sub-standard EPC exists, landlords can, under certain circumstances apply for exemption under prescribed grounds. Exemptions apply in their own right and are not a blanket “get out of MEES” card. Any upgrades that can be completed and are not covered by an exemption will need to be completed. Exemptions last for 5 years and need to be registered on the PRS Exemption Register, which is a public record. Exemptions cannot be transferred on the sale of a property. An NDEPC must be produced by an accredited Non-Domestic Energy Assessor who has been trained and monitored to ensure they have the appropriate skills and knowledge to carry out a professional inspection. The assessor reports on the type and efficiency of the heating, hot water, lighting, ventilation and air conditioning services (if any). A non-domestic EPC certificate looks very similar to the energy ratings you find on fridges or washing machines and have the same A-G energy rating. ‘A’ being very energy efficient and ‘G’ being very inefficient. Non-domestic EPC’s evaluate the performance of the building itself and its fixed services such as heating, cooling or ventilation equipment (not the contents such as computers or other such equipment). Under Section 6 (Scotland) and Part L1A (England & Wales), all new buildings (domestic and non-domestic) require energy assessments to be carried out before work can start on site. An energy assessor is therefore required to perform an assessment of the design using a prescribed methodology to demonstrate compliance with the regulations. The results of this assessment must then be submitted to Building Control as part of the building warrant application process. EPC’s have to be carried out by a Domestic Energy Assessor who will need to be audited by their Accreditation Body to make sure standards are upheld, any not accredited can not carry out an EPC assessment. Its always best to consult the experts when considering mees regulations these days.EPCs for domestic properties are really straightforward documents that give an energy rating from G to A, with a numeric scale to give a more precise figure. The scale is pretty self-explanatory, with G being a very poor rating, and A being an excellent rating. The average rating across all UK dwellings is around 60 (D). As from 1st October 2008, it is compulsory that all properties 'to let' have an EPC. In October 2018 it became law that a property needs to be E or above to rent it out. This has a bearing if you are trying to sell a property below an E as you cannot get a buy to let mortgage until this rating has been improved. EPCs let the person who will use the building know how costly it will be to heat and light, and what its carbon dioxide emissions are likely to be. The EPC will also state what the energy-efficiency rating could be if improvements are made, and highlights cost-effective ways to achieve a better rating. Even if you rent your building, some improvements noted on the EPC may be worth implementing, such as switching to more energy-efficient light bulbs. From 2018 it will be necessary to meet the Minimum Energy Performance Standard which is widely expected to be an EPC “E” rating. It is possible that properties with an “F” or “G” rating will be unable to be sold or rented after April 2018 unless work is undertaken to improve their energy performance. There continues to be some uncertainty regarding implementation of this legislation, but in the meantime many large scale property owners are investing millions of pounds to ensure that their buildings can be sold or let after the deadline date. Back in 1996, 39% of rental properties had an F or G rating, so the introduction of the EPC rating system contributed to a massive overall improvement. By 2016 the figure was 7%, and now we stand at 6.3%. Because of the urgent carbon emissions timeline, the government says this means there are up to 285,000 properties in need of urgent work. A solid understanding of commercial epc makes any related process simple and hassle free.
Fast And Accurate Results
All domestic properties can be assessed including listed properties and very old properties. It is not a requirement to replace an expired EPC until the property is advertised for sale. EPCs for non-dwellings must be produced by an accredited non-domestic energy assessor, who is a member of a government approved accreditation scheme. The seller or landlord must provide an EPC free of charge to a prospective buyer or tenant at the earliest opportunity. A copy of the EPC must also be provided to the successful buyer or the person who takes up the tenancy. The Government first mentioned its intention to introduce minimum energy efficiency requirements as part of the Energy Act 2011. However, it wasn’t until 1st April 2018 that MEES were enacted into law and it became mandatory for both residential and commercial property managers in England and Wales to ensure that their properties met the minimum standards outlined in The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) Regulations 2015. Currently, you won’t actually benefit from tax relief for having a higher energy efficient property. However, the government are considering lowering tax bands for properties which have energy saving measures and appliances – If you increase your properties efficiency now, by the time the tax changes come into effect, you’ll be saving money immediately. MEES compliance is first and foremost the obligation of landlords, who will usually bear the cost (unless any leases include express provision for tenants to carry out such works or for cost allocation within the service charge). However, tenants who wish to sub-let their premises may also be on the hook for compliance costs, where those premises do not currently have a rating of 'E' or above. You may be asking yourself how does a epc commercial property fit into all of this?An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) measures the energy efficiency of a property and rates it on a sliding scale depending on how efficient it is. Ratings are from A-G with A being the most efficient and G being the least. The EPC is part of a series of measures that have been introduced across Europe to reflect legislation which will help cut buildings’ carbon emissions and tackle climate change. The certificate provides 'A' to 'G' ratings for the building, with 'A' being the most energy efficient and 'G' being the least, with the average up to now being 'D'. To comply with minimum energy performance requirements, many of the recommendations in an EPC report e.g. double glazing, new doors and windows, external wall insulation, and external boiler flues would likely result in unacceptable alterations in the majority of historic buildings. These can include buildings protected as part of a designated environment or because of their special architectural or historical merit. When choosing a commercial EPC provider, make sure to assess their experience in property improvement. This will help you to get a better idea of the level of expertise they possess and the resources they have available. Part of the EPC process is an accredited assessor’s carrying out of Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) calculations to help formulate the final EPC rating for the property. An Energy Performance Certificate is legally required to be obtained prior to the sale or letting of a property in England and Wales. Advising on matters such as mees will provide benefits in the long run.