Only 19% of commercial properties for sale have EPCs

The UK commercial property sector is failing to comply with energy regulations says a survey conducted by accreditation body National Energy Services (NES).

According to the study, 81% of agents couldn't provide the mandatory Energy Performance Certificate for the offices or shops they were marketing for sale or rent, with 47% of the agents saying they believed the certificate was not necessary or could not give an explanation about why no EPC was available. A further third said that they would only get an EPC at the point of sale.

EPCs came into force in January. They give buildings ratings on a scale of A to G for their energy performance.

NES is calling for government to get rid of the anomalies between the commercial property sector and the residential sector where EPCs are more readily available.

Austin Baggett, deputy managing director of NES, said. “The EPC is not just any piece of paper. It's now required by law to inform potential buyers or tenants about the energy performance of a building, so that they can consider energy efficiency as part of their investment or business decision to buy or occupy that building.

NES is making a number of recommendations, including making the display of the EPC rating mandatory on all commercial building particulars used by agents to market the building, placing the legal responsibility of providing an EPC on the organisation marketing the commercial building rather than the seller or landlord, and making the implications of non-compliance more acute by increasing the penalties.