Energy certification

Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)

The Energy Performance Buildings Directive (EPBD) is the European legislation that requires energy assessments of buildings. The Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) is responsible for official guidance in relation to energy assessments in the UK. Through this legislation, all properties that are:

• built
• sold
• rented

require an Energy Performance Certificate.

An EPC contains:

• An energy efficiency rating from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient) and is valid for 10 years.
• Information about a property’s energy use and typical energy costs
• Recommendations about how to reduce energy use and save money

Display Energy Certificate (DEC)

The purpose of introducing DECs is to raise public awareness of energy use and to inform visitors to public buildings about the energy use of a building. DECs provide an energy rating of the building from A to G, where A is very efficient and G is the least efficient and are based on the actual amount of metered energy used by the building over the last 12 months within the validity period of the DEC.

An affected organisation must display a DEC in a prominent place clearly visible to the public and have in its possession or control a valid advisory report. The advisory report contains recommendations for improving the energy performance of the building.

DEC and advisory report are required for buildings with a total useful floor area over 500m2 that are occupied in whole or part by public authorities and frequently visited by the public.

DCLG is responsible for the official guidance on Display Energy Certificates and advisory reports for public buildings

Further information

We at the Energy Services department are a small team of energy practitioners, who are involved in energy reporting and assessing of buildings. We are required to register as “Accredited Energy Assessors” through an approved accreditation body National Energy Services & Elmhurst.

As energy practitioners our assessors carry out Energy Performance Certificates for both domestic and commercial buildings, and Display Energy Certificates which are a requirement for all existing public buildings over 500m2.