Accreditation schemes make sure that domestic energy assessors (DEAs) have the right skills and are able to carry out the survey to agreed standards. These schemes ensure that DEAs:

• adhere to standards, codes of conduct and procedures
• are qualified to conduct an energy assessment, produce the certificate and give advice
• have the correct insurance
• are part of a register
• have had a criminal records check
• have a complaints procedure

Domestic energy assessors may be employed by a company (like an estate agent or energy company) or be self-employed. Always check that your domestic energy assessor belongs to an accreditation scheme.

Finding an accredited energy assessor

You can use the energy performance certificate register website to search for an accredited domestic energy assessor. This website is run by Landmark, on behalf of the government. You can also find accredited domestic energy assessors by searching online or by looking in the phone book.

How long is your EPC valid for?

EPCs are valid for ten years.

What an EPC costs

The price of an EPC is set by the market and will depend on the size and location of your property.

What to do if you are not happy with your EPC

If you are not happy, you should discuss your complaint with the domestic energy assessor who carried out your assessment. All domestic energy assessors must have a complaints process in place, so they should be able to provide you with a copy of their complaints procedure. If the complaint isn’t resolved, you can take it to their accreditation scheme.

When you’ll be given an EPC

By law you should receive an EPC in the following cases:

Buying a home

All sellers of homes need to ensure that they provide an EPC, free of charge to potential buyers.

Buying a newly built property

Buyers of newly built properties should receive an EPC, free of charge.

Renting a property

If you are interested in renting a property, the landlord must make an EPC available to you free of charge. However, you don’t need an EPC when you are thinking of just renting a room with shared facilities rather than renting the whole property.

If you are not in one of the above categories

Even if you don’t fall into the above categories, you can still apply for and receive an EPC from an energy assessor. This may be because you want to know how energy efficient your home is, and make improvements suggested by the recommendation report. Read ‘Energy Performance Certificates – what they are’ to find out more about what an EPC contains.

What happens if you are not given an EPC

If you are not given an EPC when you are entitled to it, you should contact the trading standards department of your local council. Trading standards officers have the power to issue a fixed penalty notice of £200 for domestic properties where an EPC is not provided.

If you are buying a newly built home and an EPC hasn’t been provided, you should contact the building control department of your local council.

Source: www.direct.gov.uk

As the global rate of urbanisation is increasing the cumulative effect of all the negative impacts of urbanisation like the production of pollution, production of waste heat from human activity – most notably air conditioners and internal combustion engines, the modification of the physical and chemical properties of the atmosphere, and the covering of the soil surface are becoming more clear which is named as UHI (Urban Heat Island), defined as the rise in temperature of any man-made area, resulting in a well-defined, distinct “warm island” among the “cool sea” represented by the lower temperature of the area’s nearby natural landscape.

Though heat islands may form on any rural or urban area, and at any spatial scale, cities are favoured, since their surfaces are prone to release large quantities of heat. Nonetheless, the UHI negatively impacts not only residents of urban-related environs, but also humans and their associated ecosystems located far away from cities. In fact, UHIs have been indirectly related to climate change due to their contribution to the greenhouse effect, and therefore, to global warming.

At Monument Info Search Ltd we carry out the overheating calculation and simulation using a range of different mitigation strategies/passive measures in order to minimise the impact of Urban Heat Island (UHI).  We are experienced in analysing all different sizes of commercial and residential buildings to help you comply with Building Bulletin 101.

Call us now for more details and how we can help you with your needs 0844 800 0528. or let us call you! simply use the contact us form on our website to leave us a message and we’ll be in touch with you soon.

The causes of Urban Heat Island (UHI)

The UHI is an ‘inadvertent’ modification of the climate, caused by changes to the form and composition of the land surface and atmosphere. When a land cover of buildings and roads replaces green space, the thermal, radiative, moisture and aerodynamic properties of the surface and the atmosphere are altered. This is because urban construction materials have different thermal (heat capacity and thermal conductivity) and radiative (reflectivity and emissivity) properties compared to surrounding rural areas, which results in more of the sun’s energy being absorbed and stored in urban compared to rural surfaces. In addition, the height of buildings and the way in which they are arranged affects the rate of escape at night of the sun’s energy absorbed during the day by building materials. The result is that urban areas cool at a much slower rate than rural areas at night, thus maintaining comparatively higher air temperatures. Urban areas also tend to be drier than their rural counterparts because of the lack of green space, a predominance of impervious surfaces and urban drainage systems, which quickly remove water from the urban surface. This combination of effects alters the energy balance of the urban environment. Consequently in urban compared to rural areas, more of the sun’s energy absorbed at the surface goes into heating the atmosphere and thus raising the air temperature than into evapotranspiration (water uptake and loss by plants), which is a cooling process.

Additional factors such as the scattered and emitted radiation from atmospheric pollutants to the urban area, the production of waste heat from air conditioning and refrigeration systems, as well from industrial processes and motorized vehicular traffic (i.e. anthropogenic heat), and the obstruction of rural air flows by the windward face of the built-up surfaces, have been recognized as additional causes of the UHI effect.

Impacts of  Urban Heat Island (UHI)

It has been largely demonstrated that cities with variable landscapes and climates can exhibit temperatures several degrees higher than their rural surroundings (i.e. UHI effect), a phenomenon which if increases in the future, may result in a doubling of the urban to rural thermal ratio in the following decades. Hence, assessment of the UHI and strategies to implement its mitigation are becoming increasingly important for government agencies and researchers of many affected countries.

As it would be expected, the characteristic inclination towards warming of urban surfaces is exacerbated during hot days and heat waves, which reinforces the air temperature increase, particularly in ill-ventilated outdoor spaces or inner spaces of residential and commercial buildings with poor thermal isolation. This increases the overall energy consumption for cooling (i.e. refrigeration and air-conditioning), hence increasing the energy production by power plants, which leads to higher emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, as well as other pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and particulate matter. Furthermore, the increased energy demand means more costs to citizens and goverments, which in large metropolitan areas may induce significant economic impacts. On the other hand, UHIs promote high air temperatures that contribute to formation of ozone precursors, which combined photochemically produce ground level ozone.

A direct relationship has been found between UHI intensity peaks and heat-related illness and fatalities, due to the incidence of thermal discomfort on the human cardiovascular and respiratory systems. During extreme weather events such as heat waves, the urban heat island has the potential to prevent the city from cooling down, maintaining night-time temperatures at a level that affects human health and comfort. Heatstroke, heat exhaustion, heat syncope, and heat cramps, are some of the main stress events, while a wide number of diseases may become worse, particularly in the elderly and children. In a similar way, respiratory and lung diseases have shown to be related to high ozone levels induced by heat events. Several of the above mentioned impacts have been addressed by the US. Living in high-density urban areas, such as London, may be an important risk factor for heat related mortality and morbidity. The effects of the 2003 heat wave were greatest in London in terms of the number of deaths per head of population, especially amongst the elderly (overall there were approximately 2000 all-age extra deaths in London). There is emerging evidence that UK urban populations show greater sensitivity to heat effects compared to rural regions. Many of the 2003 summer excess deaths that occurred across London during the August heat wave event may be attributable to the urban heat island effect.

The anomalous warm of the city creates relatively low air pressures that cause cooler, rural air to converge on the urban centre, thus forcing warm air to ascend (i.e. convection), which at higher altitudes condensates and precipitates. Studies carried out in several cities of the United States such as Atlanta, New York, Chicago and Washington, have shown that urban-induced precipitation and thunderstorm events are mainly initiated by the UHI. Other meteorological impacts of the UHI are associated with reductions in snowfall frequencies and intensities, as well as reductions in the diurnal and seasonal range of freezing temperatures. Lastly, high temperatures may produce physiological and phonological disturbances on ornamental plants and urban forests.

Although in wintertime the UHI can result in energy savings (i.e. winter penalty), there is a great consent among researchers that this benefit is outweighed by the detrimental effects that occur in summertime.

Mitigation strategies

Following are the strategies that can be implemented in order to minimise the effect of  Urban Heat Island (UHI): -

Is one of the most well known building assessment methodologies in the World and the most widely used.  The UK building industry recognises the importance of adopting BREEAM on non domestic building as a way of demonstrating their commitment to construction and sustainable excellence.

The BREEAM NEW Construction assessment covers public and commercial buildings with the exception of non standard buildings that are outside the scope of the New Construction 2011, these buildings will follow the bespoke route.

BREEAM New Construction consists of nine categories of sustainable compliance with a total of 49 issues across the all the categories:

Depending on the type of building the number of issues that are appropriate will be selected and have credits allocated to each as the construction progresses. The innovation category allows extra credits to be achieved for exemplary performance within the categories.

The Total number of credits gained will determine the level of BREEAM certification the building will achieve at Design stage and finally post construction.

Monument Info Search  can assists you in achieving the maximum credits available for you project depending on the building type we can also undertake and the additional reports / surveys and calculations necessary to make achieving  the necessary credits a breeze. No more sourcing multiple contractors that do not understand the process, we can facilitate the whole process so you can do what you best.

The Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 go live on 6 April 2012.

While changes to the existing legislation might appear relatively minor, the 2011 Regulations will have a significant impact on the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) requirements at the marketing stage of a property.

Sellers, landlords, and agents of commercial property in particular, will need to be alert to the immediate changes to avoid fines of up to £5,000 for failure to comply with the new rules.

What is changing?

The 2011 Regulations will amend the existing legislation – The Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 – in three ways:

• from 6 April 2012, EPCs will be required on marketing for non-domestic and rental properties as well as residential properties
• written property particulars will have to include a copy of the first page of the EPC – it will no longer be permitted to include only the asset rating
• air conditioning reports will require registration on the central EPC register

EPC requirements at the marketing stage

Following the suspension of Home Information Packs in May 2010, the duty to ensure an EPC was available or had been commissioned was retained for residential property sales, but there was no similar obligation for non-domestic sales and rentals.

Under the existing regulations, a residential property seller must ensure that an EPC is either available or has been commissioned before the property is put on the market (Regulation 5A (2) of the 2007 Regulations).

There is also a complementary duty on the person acting on behalf of the seller to be satisfied that an EPC exists or has been commissioned, before they start marketing the property on the seller’s behalf  (Regulation 5A (3)).

Where marketing starts and an EPC is not available, both parties have a duty to use ‘all reasonable efforts’ to secure an EPC within 28 days, starting on the day the property is first put on the market (Regulation 5A (4)).

The 2011 Regulations amend the existing legislation by removing the reference to ‘residential property’, and extending the requirement to have commissioned an EPC at the marketing stage to commercial properties and all rental transactions.

The period during which all reasonable efforts must be made to secure an EPC will also be reduced, from 28 days to seven. If an EPC is not obtained within seven days, the seller and person acting on the seller’s behalf have a further 21 days to secure an EPC, after which the defence of using all reasonable efforts is no longer available (Regulation 5A (4A)).

Requirement to attach first page of the EPC to written particulars

A further amendment that will be of interest to agents marketing a property on behalf of a seller or landlord, is a change to what information must be included with the written particulars for a property.

Under the existing regulations – for residential sales only – the seller or person acting on their behalf is required to ensure that either the asset rating or the EPC is included with the written particulars for the property (Regulation 6(2)).

The 2011 Regulations will remove the option of including only the asset rating, so that first page of the EPC must be ‘attached to the particulars’ in all cases.

The 2011 Regulations also remove the reference to ‘residential property’, so that the requirements in Regulation 6 extend to commercial properties and rentals.

Agents seeking to comply with the new requirements will need to take particular care to ensure the first page of the EPC is properly ‘attached’ to the particulars.

While there is limited guidance available on the 2011 Regulations, the Department of Energy has confirmed that ’attaching’ means – in case of a hard copy brochure – stapling, glueing, taping etc. It will not be acceptable to insert the EPC loose into a brochure, as it must be physically attached.

For the avoidance of doubt, the requirement to include the first page of the EPC also extends to web brochures as well as hard copies.

The rationale behind this amendment is that it will make it more likely that potential buyers and tenants will see the recommendations attached to the EPC, rather than just the asset rating.

Conveniently, the 2011 Regulations will also coincide with the introduction of a new look EPC for residential purposes, to be introduced in April 2012, which will show potential cost savings and recommended improvements on the first page.

Air conditioning reports

The existing regulations require that air conditioning systems over 12kW are inspected every five years (Regulation 21), and that an inspection report is obtained (Regulation 22).

The inspection reports must include an assessment of the air conditioning efficiency and the sizing of the system compared to the cooling requirements, plus appropriate advice on possible improvement or replacement of the system along with possible alternatives.

The existing regulations already include a requirement to lodge EPCs and accompanying recommendation reports on the central England and Wales Register kept on behalf of the Secretary of State (Regulation 31(1)(a)). Although there is no requirement to lodge air conditioning inspection reports, assessors are encouraged to do so on a voluntary basis.

The 2011 Regulations will amend the existing regulations by making it mandatory for air conditioning inspection reports to be lodged on the central register, putting them on the same footing as EPCs (Regulation 31(1)(d)).

The 2011 Regulations will also permit the charging of a fee – currently £5.36 – for lodging an inspection report on the central register.

How will the new regulations be enforced?

Every local weights and measures authority is responsible for enforcing the duties set out in the 2007 Regulations in their area (Regulation 38(1)). This duty extends to the enforcement of the new obligations introduced by the 2011 Regulations.

Under the existing regulations, trading standards officers also have the power to require a relevant person (the seller or landlord) to produce a copy of the EPC for inspection, and to take copies if necessary (Regulation 39).

The 2011 Regulations will extend these powers in relation to Regulation 5A (3), which is the duty to ensure that an EPC is commissioned before marketing starts.

In cases where the marketing starts before the EPC has been obtained, sellers, landlords and other persons acting on their behalf, should be able to demonstrate that an EPC has been commissioned.

The changes introduced by the 2011 Regulations will apply to properties marketed after 6 April 2012.  However, there are saving provisions for residential properties marketed before 6 April 2012, which may continue to rely on the existing regulations, and in particular the longer time periods for obtaining an EPC.

What are the consequences of non-compliance?
The existing regime of penalty charge notices for non-compliance with the 2007 Regulations will continue to apply, but will be extended to the new EPC requirements introduced by the 2011 Regulations.

As penalty charge notices may be imposed on any person under a duty under the regulations, they extend to a seller or landlord as well those acting on their behalf.

The level of penalty charge that may be imposed is dealt with by Regulation 43. For non-compliance in the case of residential dwellings, a penalty charge is limited to £200, but in the case of commercial properties the penalty for non-compliance is determined by a sliding scale based on the rateable value, subject to a minimum penalty of £500, up to a maximum £5,000.

Avoiding a penalty notice

The main risk of non-compliance with the new requirements is not being aware of the changes.

Complying with the new regulations should not require dramatic changes to current practice or a significant increase in business costs provided sellers, landlords, and those acting on their behalf remember:

• from 6 April 2012 EPCs will be required at the marketing stage for all properties
• where an EPC is not available, ‘all reasonable efforts’ must be made to obtain one within seven days of the property going on the market; and in any event, within 28 days of marketing
• where an EPC is available at the marketing stage, the first page must be ‘attached’ (not inserted loose) to the written particulars of the property; and simply including the asset rating within the particulars is not acceptable.

Source : Shoosmiths

An Industry Working Group comprising ACRIB, BRE, BSRIA, CIBSE, FETA, HVCA, IoR and Summit Skills has developed this publication to give guidance on meeting these regulations.

Go to our TM44 inspection page to find out how we can help with your TM44 Inspection. And remember we are CIBSE accredited air conditioning inspectors.

TM44 provides guidance on carrying out the required air conditioning inspection within reasonable constraints of time, cost and skills, including specific guidance on generating advice for the user, on a consistent basis. Engineers and energy managers responsible for these systems need to consider how they will comply with the new rules. For systems over 250 kW they have until January 2009 to complete the first inspections, and for the remaining systems over 12 kW they have until January 2011.

Building owners and managers wishing to understand the purpose and scope of the inspection should read at least the introductory section 1 and the explanatory section 6, copies of which could be provided to the building owner/manager by the inspector prior to the inspection. These provide an overview of the inspection, and its potential benefits and subsequent use, to help managers prepare for the visit and to consider what further actions may be appropriate after the inspection. Those wishing to carry out the inspection should read at least sections 1 to 5 as relevant to the types of systems they will assess.

Other parts of the EPBD, and of the Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007, include a requirement for a certificate describing the energy efficiency of the whole building to be prepared and made available on sale or rent of buildings. This certification process will also involve the inspection of buildings to obtain basic details of the building fabric, building services (heating, lighting and air conditioning systems) and other equipment used in the building.

European Regulation (EC) 842/2006, the ‘F-Gas Regulation’, which came into force on 4 July 2007, requires regular inspections of some refrigeration systems to test for leakage of fluorinated greenhouse gas refrigerant from systems. Some refrigeration systems containing cfc or hcfc refrigerants may already be subject to regular leakage testing under European Regulation (EC) 2037/2000 on substances that deplete the ozone layer. And some air conditioning systems will fall under the scope of the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000, which may apply to systems with an installed power in excess of 25 kW.

TM44 also indicates how building owners and managers should be advised to prepare and keep information from all these inspections so that the time needed to carry them out, and hence their cost, can be minimised.

The group advising on the preparation of this document also provided input on behalf of the UK to the Working Groups of CEN TC156 developing European Standards for air conditioning and ventilation system inspection to support the requirements of the EPBD.

SOURCE: CIBSE

Commenting on the second reading of the Energy Bill, Ian Potter, operations manager of ARLA, made the proposals as there are around 500,000 properties in the private residential sector that fall into F and G ratings for energy performance.

However, he welcomed the decision by the government to give landlords until 2018 to make green home improvements as a “practical one”, as poor performing buildings account for 17 per cent of the market.

Mr Potter did stress concern that there is still little detail about how properties are to be made more efficient.

“So far, there is no clarity on how energy improvements will be assessed or enforced – or, importantly, how this assessment will be funded,” he said.

Other proposals in the Bill include making it illegal for landlords to refuse reasonable requests from tenants to make their property more energy efficient from April 2016.

Source: EST and Govtoday

Contact an accredited commercial energy assessor should you would like a Commercial EPC. The consultant will assess the lighting, heating and ventilation within the build and evaluate how they are maintained and controlled. This then enables them to supply the building with an EPC that rates it on an A-G scale, with A being the most energy efficient and G the least. Recipients of Commercial EPS are also given a document outlining steps that could be taken to make the build more energy efficient.

Commercial EPCs allow prospective buyers and tenants to compare buildings in relation to their energy consumption and learn what can be done to enhance energy usage. When a commercial property is being rented or sold, Commercial EPCs have to be provided no later than at the time of a request for a viewing or upon release of marketing material.

Commercial EPCs, which are valid for a decade, can be divided into one of two categories – in the case of new-builds they are enforced by Building Control while existing builds get enforced by Trading Standards departments. Either way, Commercial EPCs are a legal requirement, and must be attained as soon as possible when there is the intention to sell, lease, or build a new commercial property.

Some people may think getting a Commercial EPC is a difficult procedure that requires an extended period of time before it is permitted to market a non dwelling. Yet just one full consultation visit is all that is necessary for a professional commercial energy specialist to prepare the necessary documents. And by obtaining a Commercial EPC in good time, you should escape the fine of 12.5% of the property’s rateable value up to a maximum of £5,000 for not owning a valid EPC.

It is necessary to get Commercial EPCs for so-called “conditioned” properties, meaning buildings surrounded by walls and a roof that also incorporates lights, heating facilities and so on. However, places of worship, temporary builds with under two years of planned use, and low energy consumption structures such as barns are exempt from the Commercial EPC requirement.

Commercial (NDEA): Non-Domestic, for business premises for sale or letting e.g. Newspaper shop, Pub, Restaurant, Retail shops, Industrial Units, Manufacturing (Factory) or office premises. iSBEM modeling is used to issue an epc certificate. If your business is leased through a real estate agent, you are required to obtain the assessment report.

Exemption – There are some exemptions, however, to be exempt certain conditions and criteria need to met, avoidance is not advisable, a penalty (fine) may be imposed for non-compliance. Enforcement is carried out by Trading Standards Officers from your local authority.

Domestic EPC in Stoke-on-Trent

Domestic (DEA): House and Home sales as part of a house sale or letting, you will need an EPC Certificate as part of a house sale or rental, for example, when you sell your house through an estate agent, or property solicitor. For rented property – which is to be let, you will also require an EPC Certificate.

Air Conditioning (ACSEA): Air Conditioning Systems assessor (HVAC), specialists, surveyors and consultants for A/C systems for commercial property.

BREEAM: Part L Building regulations specialist assessors who are licensed, they are known as Code for Sustainable Homes Assessors or BREEAM assessors. BREEAM (BRE Environmental Assessment Method)for eco-homes.

SBEM: Simplified Building Energy Model – An SBEM calculation is required for the issue of a recommendation report as part of a non-domestic property survey. SBEM is the methodology used to calculate the rating.

Commercial (NDEA): Non-Domestic, for business premises for sale or letting e.g. Newspaper shop, Pub, Restaurant, Retail shops, Industrial Units, Manufacturing (Factory) or office premises. iSBEM modeling is used to issue an epc certificate. If your business is leased through a real estate agent, you are required to obtain the assessment report.

DEC (Display Energy Certificate): An assessor qualified and accredited to survey public (local authority) sector buildings under UK Government ownership or control.

Building Services Engineers – Guidance for compliance issues and more about Acoustic Sound Tests, Air Conditioning Reports, Air Tightness and Pressure Testing for properties, asbestos removal, asbestos disposal: refer to relevant links on this site.

Need a Quote?

Contact us for a no-obligation quote.

Your EPC can only be produced by accredited trained energy assessors (or home inspectors). The inspection surveyors are licensed Domestic Assessors that have been fully trained and are certified as part of an accreditation scheme. In addition for commercial EPC’s we welcome enquiries so please use our contact form for a fast, free quote for SAP, PEA, code assessors, and non-domestic property’s. Quality assured: our assessment team are certified by RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors).

For Energy Environmental Consultant Surveyors and CIBSE Low Carbon Inspectors and HVAC Air Conditioning Systems Energy Assessors contact us for a hassle free service. Our services also include Air Tightness Testing .

EPC Provider Energy Performance Certificate Stoke-on-Trent

Energy Performance Certificates in Stoke-on-Trent supplier for home domestic, residential and commercial business property surveys, advice and guidance.

For an EPC we specialise in providing energy performance certificates for all commercial property and home residential properties as part of a home inspection. We offer affordable prices. Even if you are not selling your business or home an energy assessment can improve your property efficiency rating and you may be able to obtain a grant to assist in home improvements or investment funds and grants through a government scheme. Energy saving measures based on recommendations to help homeowners and business companies to implement savings. Our register of listings for company environmental consultants, low carbon surveyors and inspection professionals that provide advice about reducing your carbon footprint (CO2 emissions) and lower energy consumption for your premises.

We recommend that you act now. All properties, which includes domestic residential and commercial premises must obtain an Energy Performance Certificate by law. Find an independent company for your needs and pay a competitive price for your home residential, On-Construction New Build, Landlords Rental Property EPC.

On this site learn more on how to obtain a report and learn how to gain efficiency improvement for your household or business premises performance rating.

Business Owners Note: Legislation and Regulations regarding air conditioning services as part of the EU EPBD Buildings directive including when and what current systems require inspections for properties, and assessment commencing January 2011 refer to “Air Conditioning Systems” at the foot of this page.

Air Conditioning certification and the current law regarding EPBD UK regulations.

Additional information is available covering F Gas inspection, good practice guide, maintenance and repairs of air-conditioning equipment, fine and penalty for non-compliance, and what to expect in the recommendations report, also funding, grants and loans for improvement. Learn more about the best ways to make your air conditioning system more efficient and improvements to your asset rating.

Display Energy Certificates – which buildings have them

DECs are a way of showing the energy efficiency of a building. The DEC must be displayed clearly in buildings occupied by public authorities and institutions that provide services to the public, have a floor area of over 1,000 metres squared and are frequently visited by the public. It must be updated every year.

Public authorities include central and local government, schools, courts and prisons. Institutions that provide services to the public include organisations that provide services paid for by the taxpayer.

What the DEC looks like and contains

A DEC contains three main charts – the operational rating, carbon dioxide emissions and previous operational ratings from the last three years. Follow the link below to see an example of a DEC from the Communities and Local Government website.

• Example of a Display Energy Certificate (PDF, 247K)Opens new window

Operational rating

The operational rating is a measurement of the energy efficiency of the building, on a scale from ‘A’ to ‘G’. ‘A’ is the most efficient and ‘G’ is the least efficient.

The certificate also shows the operational ratings for the last three years. You can use these ratings to check whether the energy efficiency has improved or not.

Advisory report

An advisory report is always produced alongside the DEC and must be kept by whoever is responsible for looking after the building. This report includes recommendations on what the organisation can do to improve the building’s energy efficiency. It is valid for seven years.

The report also includes figures for actual energy use taken from the building’s meter readings, and carbon dioxide emissions measured in tonnes per year.

What happens if a DEC isn’t displayed

If you think a DEC should be displayed, contact the person in charge of looking after the building. If this fails, you can contact the local trading standards office.

Organisations can be fined £500 for not having a DEC on display in a prominent place that is clearly visible to the public. A fine of up to £1,000 can be given for not having a valid advisory report.