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ENERGY PERFORMANCE CERTIFICATES (EPC)
From 1st October 2008 all commercial buildings require the production of an Energy Performance Certificate when sold, let or built. The Certificate has to be available to the first potential tenant or buyer who enquires about the property and the certificate must be prepared prior to marketing. There are a few exceptions including places of worship, buildings that are to be demolished and temporary buildings with a planned life of no more that two years. Some agricultural buildings with a very low energy demand are not included within the legislation. The EPC certificate is valid for 10 years or until a new certificate is produced due to alterations to the building. Penalties for failure to comply with the new act can result in fines which are calculated at 12.5% of the rateable value of the building up to a maximum of £5000. How is the Certificate produced and what does it tell me? An Assessor is required to take accurate information and measurements of the fabric of the building and every room within a building. This details the exact specification of the premises and the performance of the heating or cooling system. The Assessor has to research information on each component to enter the full data into a government licensed software package. This information and report is then sent online to the appropriate government department who produce a certificate based on the results. The Certificate itself indicates the energy efficiency of the building and rates it on a scale of A to G. A being the most energy efficient and G being the least energy efficient. From the results of the report and the data collected the assessor is able to give recommendations to improve the energy efficiency of the building. Trading Standards have the powers to follow up the legislation. Turner Locker has an accredited assessor who will be pleased to provide a no obligation quote for production of the EPC document, to comply with the legislation. Turner Locker |
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The Legislation.
