Bookmark this blog post as there is stacks of intelligence about Fully Accredited Commercial Energy Assessors covered within.
MEES,
or Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards, are minimum requirements for
EPC ratings enforced by the government. These regulations are being
extended in April 2023. From April 2023, UK landlords will not be able
to grant or renew a policy for a tenant if their commercial property has
an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) rating of F or lower. Fines for
continuing to let a property from this date will amount to a minimum of
£5,000, up to £150,000. If an EPC for the property currently shows a
rating of F or G, then the landlord must make improvements to bring the
property up to an E rating before the relevant date. If the tenant has a
right to renew under the Landlord and Tenants Act 1954, the Regulations
do not interfere with these rights, therefore neither the tenant nor
the landlord can use the non-compliance as a justification for refusing
to renew, or terminating the lease early. An EPC is carried out by a
qualified and acredited Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA). The Assessor
needs to visit the property to gather information about the existing
lighting, heating, glazing and insulation, as well as take dimension of
the property. This information is then entered into Government approved
software to produce your EPC. Commercial buildings consume a significant
amount of energy, and it's important to find an EPC provider that meets
the minimum energy efficiency standard (MEES). MEES is a voluntary
program that sets standards for commercial buildings and aims to reduce
energy consumption by 20%. To be eligible for government contracts,
commercial EPC providers must meet the MEES standard. An EPC always
comes with a recommendation report that lists cost effective and other
measures to improve the current energy rating of the home. A rating is
also given showing what could be achieved if all the recommendations
were taken. Buildings are a major consumer of energy. Almost 50% of
energy consumption in the UK is through the everyday use of the current
building stock. Research has indicated that by improving energy
efficiency, carbon emissions from buildings could be reduced by 22%.
This will help the UK meet its climate change objectives under the Kyoto
agreement, as well as improve the energy performance of new and
existing buildings (12% reduction by 2012 on 1990 figures).
In
the United Kingdom, all buildings that have been sold, rented, or
recently built must have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). It is
an official document which explains how energy efficient a building is.
Although most property owners only obtain an EPC when it is mandated by
the government, there are several additional benefits associated with
getting one A good EPC score would be between A – C. The most efficient
homes in band A normally have the lowest fuel bills. Properties that
show a lower impact through carbon dioxide emissions will be rated
better homes through the EPC. Where a rented property has an energy
rating of F or G on 1st April 2020 it cannot be rented to a new tenant
AND where there is an existing tenancy it cannot continue. If a
property with a non-compliant rating (F or G) continues to be rented the
landlord will be in breach of the Minimum energy efficiency regulations
(MEES) and would therefore be breaking the law. It is the
responsibility of the owner of a holiday let to ensure that the property
has an EPC. Accredited Energy Assessors produce the EPC alongside an
associated report, which suggests improvements, which may help to make
the building more energy efficient. Conducting viability appraisals with
respect to
non domestic epc register is useful from the outset of any project.
Helping Potential Buyers
Any
building that’s newly built, being put up for sale, or being advertised
for rent will need an EPC if it uses any kind of heating or
air-conditioning. Energy Performance Certificates aren’t just essential
for private homes. They apply to most buildings – so you’ll also need a
commercial Energy Performance Certificate if you’re building, letting,
or selling business premises. On the 26th March 2015, the Energy
Efficiency(Private Rented Sector) (England and Wales) Regulations passed
into law. These regulations are better known as the minimum energy
efficiency standards (MEES). The minimum energy efficiency standard will
be set at a Band ‘E’ EPC rating. 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. MEES requires
properties to be brought up to a minimum EPC rating of ‘E’, while
properties with an EPC rating of ‘F’ or ‘G’ being termed ‘sub-standard’
in the regulations. MEES will apply where the grant of a new lease
(including lease renewals) is made on or after 1 April 2018, therefore
Landlords need to put plans in place as soon as possible to avoid
potential void periods following its introduction. An EPC is an Energy
Performance Certificate (EPC) which is given to potential buyers or
renters of a particular property. The EPC report covers the energy
efficiency of heating and lighting and shows the estimated CO2
emissions. Formulating opinions on matters such as
mees can be a time consuming process.
An
EPC rating is a review of a property’s energy efficiency. Much like the
multi-coloured stickers you see on all new appliances, an EPC will tell
you how energy efficient a building is and give it a rating from A to
G. The most efficient homes are in band A and these should have the
lowest fuel bills. The Energy Performance Certificate also tells you, on
a scale of A-G, about the impact through Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
emissions. An EPC will show the assets rating for the building – a
theoretical value for how much energy / CO2 the building will consume /
emit. It will also give a list of recommendations to reduce the running
costs and emissions. An EPC rating is a score based on a review of your
home's energy effiency. Properties are scored from A (Highly efficient)
to G (Inefficient). The more efficent your property, the higher your EPC
rating and the cheaper your energy bills. From 1st April 2016 tenants
will be able to request consent from their landlord to undertake
improvements to their property’s energy efficiency – as long as this
improvement has been recommended by an EPC, Green Deal report, or
surveyor report. Tenants will need to demonstrate either government or
third-party funding, or a willingness to pay, in their request. A
landlord will have a duty not to unreasonably refuse a tenant’s request.
Obtaining an EPC can be a legal requirement in some circumstances, and
even if you are not obliged to get one, it can be a good thing to do. It
will give you an indication of the energy efficiency of your home in
its current state, as well as how efficient it could be if you carried
out work to the property. A service such as a
commercial epc is an invaluable asset in the heady world of business.
Domestic Energy Assessments
While
energy efficiency measures in diverse sectors show potential to deliver
health and well-being improvements, measures targeting buildings are
often easier to verify. Energy efficiency retrofits in buildings (e.g.
insulation retrofits and weatherisation programmes) create conditions
that support improved occupant health and well-being, particularly among
vulnerable groups. EPC stands for Energy Performance Certificate.
Commercial or Non-Domestic EPCs were introduced by the European Union
(EU) initiative (Directive 2002/91/EC – EPBD) to help improve energy
efficiency across all the member states. A commercial EPC is mandatory
for commercial properties when being sold or let. Ratings are often used
by tenants or potential buyers to make energy comparisons between
properties. The EPC will identify where there is the ability to improve
the energy efficiency of the building. Every property is rated between
grades A and G, where A is the most energy-efficient, and G is the least
energy-efficient. An EPC also carries recommendations on how a property
owner can improve the energy efficiency of a home and the estimated
energy costs. It has a validity of 10 years. A Commercial EPC can only
be produced by an accredited Non-Domestic Energy Assessor (NDEA) and is
valid for ten years. Once produced, it is lodged on the Government’s
National Non-Domestic EPC Register and is designed to give potential
buyers and tenants some basic information about the building’s energy
efficiency rating. This is so they can better understand the costs of
running the building and changes or improvements they might wish to
consider. MEES will not apply to commercial buildings that do not
require an EPC, for example, industrial sites with a low energy demand,
places of worship, small standalone buildings (total floor area of less
than 50 square meters) and temporary buildings. A well-thought-out
strategy appertaining to
epc commercial property can offer leaps and bounds in improvements.
Improving
your EPC Rating is likely to increase your property’s value. It also
means you could reduce your energy bills and reduce your carbon
footprint. But most importantly, you will be complying with legislation
and avoiding major fines. You may also not need an EPC if you have one
which has been completed in the last 10 years as it should still be
valid. However, if you have undertaken work to improve the energy
efficiency of the building, you may want to have an assessment to update
the certificate following these improvements. If you're working on a
new build construction, whether for commercial or residential purposes,
it's an essential requirement of Building Regulations that SAP
calculations and EPC certificates are provided. The purpose of these
requirements is to ensure that new build properties are as energy
efficient as possible. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the
property seller or landlord to arrange an EPC to buyers and tenants. An
EPC is valid for 10 years and registered to the property. It may be your
property already has one registered against it if you bought your
property after 2008 (when they were required by law) and are now looking
to sell. An energy performance certificate measures how efficiently a
property uses energy and gives you an idea of how much it will cost to
heat and power a property. Landlords must provide an energy performance
certificate (no older than 10 years) to prospective tenants so they can
see the energy consumption for the property they're thinking of renting.
Tenants must also receive a copy of the certificate when they take up a
tenancy. Can a
mees regulations solve the problems that are inherent in this situation?
Cutting Energy Costs
It's
really simple to find out if you already have an EPC online! All EPC
certificates are lodged on the national database. As the certificate is
valid for 10 years, many people are unaware when the previous owner had
the certificate issued, or simply forget. Checking if you have an EPC
online is completely free and doesn't require an EPC certificate cost.
If you’re in a hurry to get your house sold fast, you might be concerned
that acquiring an EPC is a lengthy process, but in most cases it’s not.
If you have a standard domestic property with less than 6 bedrooms, the
initial EPC visit should take no longer than 45 mins. A lot of places
will offer 24-hour turnaround on their EPC paperwork, meaning you could
get the appropriate energy performance certificate officially lodged
within a day. An EPC will provide you with a list of
recommendations/recommended measures for improving the property’s energy
performance. The indicative cost (Scotland) or typical installation
cost is based on average installation prices so may not be
representative of the actual cost in your area. Find supplementary
details regarding Fully Accredited Commercial Energy Assessors in this
UK Government Website page.
Related Articles:
Additional Information With Regard To Non-Domestic Energy Performance Certificate Contractors
Additional Findings With Regard To Qualified Domestic Energy Assessors
Additional Insight With Regard To Professionally Qualified Domestic Energy Assessors
Background Findings With Regard To Professionally Qualified Domestic Energy Contractors
More Information On Domestic and Commercial EPC Assessors
More Information With Regard To Qualified Domestic Energy Contractors
Background Insight About Commercial and Domestic EPC Assessors 
