Energy Performance Certificates
Display Energy Certificates (DEC) are required for large public buildings - for example town halls, libraries, hospitals - to display certificates showing the energy efficiency of the building and requiring inspections for air conditioning systems.
For help finding an accredited person to undertake a domestic Energy Performance Certificate please go to www.epcregister.com where you can obtain an impartial list of assessors working in the area.
For help finding an accredited person to undertake an energy certificate (an EPC or a DEC) for a commercial building, you might like to try the Association of Commercial Energy Assessors; a not-for-profit organisation who can provide a list of some of the assessors operating in this area. Please note this list will only contain members of the ACEA but assessors are able to join the list for free.
Please see below for more information about energy certificates:
Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) have being introduced to help improve the energy efficiency of buildings. If you are buying or selling a home you now need a certificate by law. You may also need one to prove the efficiency of your building meets the minimum standards required for the full feed in tariff (FIT) if you are thinking about installing a renewable energy system.
From October 2008 all buildings, whenever they are built, sold or rented out, require one, although rental properties will not need a EPC until starting the next new lease/tenancy. The EPC provides ’A’ to ’G’ ratings for the building, with ’A’ being the most energy efficient and ’G’ being the least, with the average to date being ’D’. Click on the following link to view an example EPC.
Houses of Multiple Occupancy (HMOs)
There has been some confusion over how the EPC regulations apply to HMOs. Please go to the National HMO Network website to find details of which HMOs do and which do not require an EPC.
Further Information
If you are a homeowner, builder or designer, you can find out more specific information on how EPCs may affect you by going to the EPC page of the Direct Gov website.
If you are a landlord or a tenant, please download one of the guides below to find out more on the EPC affects you.
Display Energy Certificates (DECs) are similar to EPCs but are specifically for larger public sector buildings and show the actual energy usage of a building, the Operational Rating, and help the public see the energy efficiency of a building. This is based on the energy consumption of the building as recorded by gas, electricity and other meters.
The DEC should be clearly displayed at all times and clearly visible to the public. A DEC is always accompanied by an Advisory Report that lists cost effective measures to improve the energy rating of the building.
Display Energy Certificates are only required for buildings with a total useful floor area over 1,000m2 that are occupied by a public authority and institution providing a public service to a large number of persons and therefore visited by those persons.
DECs must be produced by accredited energy assessors who will also produce an associated report which suggests improvements to make a building more energy efficient. DECs are only valid for one year, however the accompanying Advisory Report is valid for seven years.
The requirement for Display Energy Certificates came into effect from 1 October 2008.
If you are involved with the management of a public building, you can find out more specific information on how DECs may affect you by going to the Communities and Government Website