Energy Performance Certificates requirement extended

The Government revealed that commercial properties were scoring an average 'C' energy rating. Around 500 such buildings have had an energy assessment three months after the launch of EPCs for commercial premises with a total floor area greater than 10,000m2.

Altogether there are seven rating bands, from A to G - A meaning "very energy efficient with lower running costs" and G meaning "not energy efficient with higher running costs".

From this week (1 July), the requirement for EPCs has been extended to include business premises over 2,500m2 when built, sold or rented. All remaining buildings - when built, sold or rented - will need an EPC from 1 October 2008.

Communities and Local Government minister, Iain Wright, said: "We have a long way to go, but EPCs are a starting point for businesses to get clear information on how they can save money on their fuel bills and cut carbon emissions too.

"It is important that this should be available to prospective buyers and tenants of all commercial buildings so we look forward to extending EPCs to the rest of the sector in October. Smaller businesses need to be thinking now about how they could be affected and what they need to do to get ready."

Top recommendations

The minister added that buildings were responsible for almost 50% of the UK's energy consumption and carbon emissions, and that employers, employees, landlords and tenants had the potential to save 40 million tonnes of carbon by 2020.

As well as providing energy efficiency ratings, assessors give recommendations on how energy efficiency can be improved.

According to the Government, the top five recommendations given by assessors for commercial buildings so far, were:

• Introducing more energy efficient lighting

• Introducing solar control measures - reflective coating, shading devices to windows - to reduce cooling demand

• Introducing electronic control gear to improve efficiency of fluorescent lighting

• Installing solar water heating

• Undertaking a review of boiler plant to look for energy efficiency improvements.

Further information on Energy Performance Certificates and the performance requirements of buildings is available from the Department for Communities and Local Government website here.