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The sheer number of individuals on social networks, particularly Twitter and CouchSurfing, searching about Commercial EPC Assessors keeps growing monthly. Tell me your thoughts on Commercial EPC Assessors? Homeowners have been able to recuperate their investment in renewable technology by benefiting from the UK government schemes, such as the Feed-in Tariff. This is linked with the Energy Efficiency Rating of the EPC, as homeowners have had to show that their property achieves a rating of D or above. EPCs have to be provided in advance of a sale or letting to enable prospective purchasers and tenants to consider energy efficiency as part of their decision-making process. An EPC will tell you how energy efficient a home is on a scale of A-G. The most efficient homes, and therefore ones with the lowest energy fuel bills, are in band A. The EPC will include recommendations on how to improve the home’s energy efficiency and therefore how to save you money and help the environment. Only professionally qualified Domestic Energy Assessors with a Domestic Energy Assessment Diploma can provide this service. When buying, selling or renting your property, an EPC rating is key as it gives you an idea of how much energy bills will cost; the carbon emissions that the property emits; and ultimately, provides recommendations as to what you can do to improve its energy efficiency. The penalty for failing to make an EPC available to any prospective buyer or tenant when selling or renting a non-dwelling is fixed, in most cases, at 12.5 per cent of the rateable value of the building, with a default penalty of £750 where the formula cannot be applied. The range of penalties under this formula are set with a minimum of £500 and capped at a maximum of £5,000. Your EPC will have two main charts with the rating bands. The bands go from A to G, with A being the best rating your home can have, and G being the worst. In the chart, you can see the current rating and potential rating, if you were to carry out the recommended home improvement. The numbers in each rating reflect the government's Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) and go from 1 to 100 SAP points. Green Deal Finance allows you to pay for some of the cost of your energy improvements in instalments under a Green Deal Plan (note that this is a credit agreement, but with instalments being added to the electricity bill for the property). The availability of a Green Deal Plan will depend upon your financial circumstances. There is a limit to how much Green Deal Finance can be used, which is determined by how much energy the improvements are estimated to save for a 'typical household'. The requirement for properties to obtain an EPC has existed since 2007. The MEES requirements were introduced in 2018 and at present, they set out that commercial properties cannot be leased to a new tenant unless it has an EPC rating of E or above. An EPC is valid for 10 years (unless a new valid certificate is commissioned within this time). A landlord may choose to commission a new EPC if there have been significant changes to a property which would impact the current EPC. You may have heard of the newly proposed EPC legislation. Rental properties in the UK need to be brought up to scratch when it comes to energy efficiency, and the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is one of the most vital tools in this process. Advising on matters such as mees regulations will provide benefits in the long run. Possible Exemptions It is essential to correctly identify and prioritise what to do, and what not to do, at the outset for your energy saving requirements. Seemingly obvious solutions are often seriously suboptimal, or even make matters worse, if the underlying causes are not properly understood. Understanding the causes demands a forensic study and a “walkthrough” survey is rarely adequate. EPCs can only be produced by accredited domestic energy assessors in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, Energy Performance Certificates can only be produced by organisations approved by the Scottish Government, while only chartered surveyors registered with RICS can produce energy reports. Each home is different and there is no way of stating definitively what the costs and benefits of installing energy efficiency measures will be in advance of works being undertaken. It is, however, possible to show how moving homes from lower to higher energy efficiency performance could help to cut bills. If you are considering investing in renewable energy and want to benefit from the government’s Feed-In Tariff (FIT) to recoup your investment, then it’s worth bearing in mind that the FIT is linked to the EPC rating of your property. It doesn’t matter how many solar panels you place on your roof, if your EPC rating is less than a D, you won’t qualify for a penny! Changes to EPC standards of efficiency mean that landlords have a legal obligation to make sure their properties are up to scratch. As of April 2018, minimum energy efficiency standards (MEES) are being applied to domestic lettings – this means that your property has to be rated ‘E’ or above in order for it to be let out to tenants. Maximising potential for epc commercial property isn't the same as meeting client requirements and expectations. A Commercial Premises utilises significant amounts of energy during the working day due to powering heating systems, mechanical ventilation and cooling. A Commercial Property with the best ratings is more attractive to potential tenants and buyers as they have lower running costs and are more environmentally friendly. With today’s importance on environmental consciousness, energy efficient homes are achieving higher prices on the property market. Energy efficient homes are priced at a premium because their ‘green’ upgrades offer both reduced utility bills and avoided maintenance expenses. These higher premiums also reflect the improved quality of life that green upgrades can offer homeowners, from health benefits to enhanced in-home comfort. Residential energy efficiency is an investment that yields financial benefits in the form of both immediate monthly savings as well as future profits when the house has been sold. During a commercial EPC assessment the energy assessor will collect information about the building. This will include plans, dimensions of the building, its purpose, the number of floors, the amount and type of glazing (i.e. single or double glazing), the heating systems and the fuel used. This information will be fed into an approved software programme using a Government approved energy assessment method. The software produces the certificate and the recommendation report for the building. It’s illegal to let a commercial property with an F or G rating, unless there’s a valid exemption, and you can be fined between £500 and £5,000 based on the rateable value of the building if you don’t make an EPC available to any prospective buyer or tenant. From 1 April 2018, landlords of buildings within the scope of the MEES Regulations must not renew existing tenancies or grant new tenancies if the building has less than the minimum energy performance certificate (EPC) rating of E unless the landlord registers an exemption. After 1 April 2023, landlords must not continue to let any buildings which have an EPC rating of less than E unless the landlord registers an exemption. Its always best to consult the experts when considering mees these days. Designing Improvements Display energy certificates (DEC's) show the energy performance of a building based on actual energy consumption. For certain types of building, they must be displayed prominently in a place visible to the public and are intended to raise public awareness of the energy use of buildings. Commercial property experts are on hand to deal with any questions you might have about MEES and the upcoming changes. They can review your existing leases to work out whether improvements can be made (or which party would be responsible for the costs of these). They can also advise you about MEES issues in future leases. The Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) scheme has been well established on the UK property landscape for some time now. Since August 2007 for properties sold, and since October 2008 for properties rented, all dwellings must come with an EPC indicating its energy efficiency level. It is a legal requirement for Commercial Properties in England and Wales when they are new build, sold or leased. An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is intended to inform potential buyers or tenants about the energy performance of a building, so they can consider energy efficiency as part of their investment or business decision to buy or occupy that building. An EPC provides an energy efficiency rating (related to running costs) for a building based on the performance potential of the building itself (the fabric) and its services (such as heating, insulation ventilation and fuels used). Not all buildings are used in the same way, so the energy rating uses 'standard occupancy' assumptions which may be different from the way the building is used. A team of Energy Assessors and Chartered Surveyors are uniquely placed to give advice on non domestic epc register and provide a complete energy consultancy service. New homes, marketed off-plan (before they are built), will have had SAP* calculations completed, to show how they comply with the Building Regulations. Then, before a completion certificate can be issued, a full Energy Performance Certificate must be obtained by the person responsible for the construction. This type of EPC must be done by a qualified SAP Assessor and will probably be the person who carried out the calculations for the design. Commercial Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) are a legal requirement to have in place when you sell or lease a non domestic property anywhere in the UK. Since the introduction of the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) legislation in April 2018 properties with an EPC rating of F or G cannot be let out until work has been carried out to improve the rating to at least an E. This has lead to many banks and financial institutions now refusing to carry out sale transactions on F and G rated properties. 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). The value of reducing energy consumption in buildings has increased worldwide. This is because the consumption of fossil fuels for the full-fledged operations of a building is as high as it is in other industries. An EPC have ever-changing standards and guidelines, and you must adhere to them. The most recent EPC rating requirement revision occurred in 2018, mandating that all new tenancies must have an EPC rating of “E” or higher. However, the laws and regulations governing EPCs for landlords have undergone substantial adjustments in the years after that. A solid understanding of commercial epc makes any related process simple and hassle free. How Much Does An Epc Certificate Cost? Twenty per cent of UK homes’ carbon emissions contribute to climate change. EPCs can help homeowners lower the environmental impact of their homes through the recommendations provided. About £300 per year can be saved in fuel bills if gas is used more efficiently. The summary of energy performance related features will help you to see how energy efficient different aspects of your home are. Use it as a guide to work out which areas to focus on first when improving your home’s energy efficiency. For Level 3 and Level 4 buildings, the Simplified Building Energy Model (SBEM) is used and to be honest this will capture most commercial properties out there. The Dynamic Simulation Model (DSM), can be applied to calculate Level 5 buildings. Assessors need to have to have the right level of qualification to be able to lodge the reports for these varying levels. For example a Level 4 assessor will be able to produce reports for Level 3 and Level 4 buildings but not a Level 5 building. Get extra details relating to Commercial EPC Assessors at this UK Government Publications link. Related Articles: Further Information With Regard To Qualified Domestic Energy Contractors Extra Insight With Regard To Low Carbon Energy Assessors Further Findings On Commercial EPC Contractors More Insight With Regard To Qualified Domestic Energy Contractors More Background Findings With Regard To Low Carbon Energy Assessors Background Information With Regard To Accredited Energy Assessors More Information About Qualified Domestic Energy Assessors