EPC's - The Background

With effect from October 2008, just about all commercial property being offered for sale or rent will require an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).

The aim of the EPC is to make building designers, landlords and tenants think carefully about the energy consumption of their buildings.

The advantage to the owners and tenants is that energy improvements will result in lower running costs for the building.

For this reason, the EPC is produced by a qualified energy assessor following a thorough survey of the building and it's heating, cooling and lighting services.

The report that accompanies the certificate will make recommendation for energy improvement.

Each Energy Performance Certificate has to be lodged on a central register of properties, for which a small fee is payable.

It contains, in addition to the actual asset rating, several other pieces of information:

	Property reference number and the validity dates for the certificate (10 years)
	Details of the assessor, along with the company name, accreditation number etc
	Details on how to check whether a certificate is genuine and how to complain about an unsatisfactory EPC
	Cost effective recommendations for improvement of the energy rating, together with estimated payback timescales

Once registered on the central register, an EPC cannot be altered.

However, if  a dispute is raised questioning the standard of the EPC, then a note is attached until the situation is resolved.

There are circumstances where a landlord or tenant might wish to update the EPC, for example, after making some or all of the recommended improvements to the building fabric and/or services.

In such cases, a new EPC would have to be issued, which means having the building re-surveyed.

The new EPC would be lodged along with the old one, which would remain on file against the property reference number.

Only the most recent EPC would be valid in such a case.

The central register is operated by Landmark Information Group Ltd and access to the database is restricted. If you know the property reference and EPC reference number, then you will be able to check the register for the latest version of the EPC and view it's recomendations.