EPCs and DECs - More changes ahead

lexology.com - 31st August 2010

Display of energy certificates in commercial premises

Owners of properties that have a total useful floor area of more than 500m2, and are frequently visited by the public, may soon find that they have to display an energy certificate at the relevant property.

The effect of the new Directive is that private bodies, as well as public authorities, now need to consider whether the display of an energy certificate is required. Affected properties include (but are not limited to) shops and shopping centres, supermarkets, restaurants, theatres, banks and hotels.
The Directive only requires the display of an energy certificate where one has already been issued. Unlike the UK legislation, the Directive does not distinguish between EPCs and DECs. However, the fact that a certificate only has to be displayed if it has already been obtained suggests that the requirement will be interpreted in domestic law to apply to EPCs, not DECs (since DECs are currently only held by public authorities). An EPC is most likely to exist (and therefore will have to be displayed) where the property has been newly constructed, or has been sold or let in the last few years.

However, the display of DECs in buildings which are occupied by private organisations, as well as those occupied by public authorities, should not be ruled out. The previous government consulted earlier this year on whether DECs should be extended to apply to commercial buildings. This would mean that, even if a building already has an EPC, a separate DEC would need to be commissioned to comply with this obligation.

DECs must be renewed annually and, as well as the asset rating given on an EPC, must also contain an operational rating, which reflects the actual energy consumption of the building from year to year. This will, of course, be determined by the energy be ha vi our of the occupiers within the building. Where a building is let, the landlord may have little control over how much energy its tenants consume.

The threshold for the display of a DEC by a public authority in a building which is frequently visited by the public will be lowered from 1,000m2 to 500m2. From 9 July 2015 the threshold will drop further to 250m2.

Plans for Green Deal Unveiled

Energy Efficiency News - 20th August 2010

Speaking yesterday at the launch of a support project for renewable energy businesses, Deputy PM Nick Clegg outlined plans for a new Green Deal aimed at reducing energy demand and carbon emissions while making homes warmer, saving consumers money and stimulating jobs.

The Deal will enable householders and businesses to install energy efficiency measures, such as insulation, which will be funded through a system of low-interest loans. It is hoped that Green Deal customers will then be able to repay the cost of installation work through savings on their energy bills.

A summary of the Green Deal, published by the department of energy and climate change, predicts that the scheme will provide insulation to over 3.5 million households, with a projected £8.65 billion benefit for society. It is approximated estimated that the most energy-inefficient homes which are currently most energy-inefficient could save around £550 annually through these improvements. Legislation for the scheme is timetable for later this year, with the Deal expected to take effect during 2012.

Businesses given deadline to register for the Carbon Reduction Commitment

St. Helens Chamber - 16th August 2010

The Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC) has set a deadline for businesses to register for the emission cutting scheme - Carbon Reduction Commitment. All businesses with a half hourly energy metre will be required to sign up to the scheme, regardless of whether they use the required energy spend (currently set at 6,000MWper annum or roughly £500,000).

Brussels ruling on EPCs set to overturn Shapps' decision

Estate Agent Today - 16th August 2010

An EU Directive will make it compulsory for energy efficiency ratings to be published in all UK homes ‘for sale’ advertisements, including on For Sale boards, from 2012, it has been claimed.

If correct, the directive, part of the Energy Performance in Buildings legislation, will effectively reverse a recent decision of the Coalition Government, and will bring back a delay in first day marketing.

In June, housing minister Grant Shapps announced it was no longer necessary to have an Energy Performance Certificate in place before a property could be marketed. It was only necessary to have commissioned one.

But according to the UK's largest supplier of EPCs, the EU directive means that an EPC must be available at the point when marketing begins

The directive will further alarm critics who say that no matter what the UK Government decides, it can always be over-ruled by the EU, and that the country is in truth ruled from Brussels.