In July 2007 the government introduced new legislation on Energy efficiency and carbon emissions for non-residential buildings.

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The legislation will be phased in between April 2007 and January 2009 and those that are not prepared will find themselves missing out. Aside from significant fines that can be incurred from not having an EPC, those without them may also find they have difficulty in renting or selling their property. Many prospective tenants and buyers have their own environmental targets so are far more likely to choose a building with an EPC rating, meaning that those without, risk staying empty while their neighbouring buildings quickly find occupiers.

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Nearly 50% of the UK's energy consumption comes from our 2 million commercial buildings; because of this, improving the energy usage of existing buildings is a major concern.

 

To address this, the government is introducing a new directive to make our buildings more energy efficient.

In line with the European Directive for the Energy Performance of Buildings (EPBD) almost all commercial properties will soon require an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).

 

A survey by Royal Sun Alliance in November of last year, found that only 33% of businesses were aware of EPCs.

 

Of those, a further third were unaware of the potential for fines of up to £5,000 if noncompliant.”EPCs record how energy efficient a property is with a rating of energy efficiency and carbon emissions from A to G. This means that prospective buyers and tenants can see information on the energy

 

At time of going to press the new legislation will be phased in as follows;

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