Latest news
Quidos produce Commercial EPC Compliance Report
23 October 2009
October 22nd, 2009 HIP-Consultant.co.uk
Quidos’s report was initially distributed to over 4000 contacts on Monday, including commercial property agents, Trading Standards offices, commercial energy assessors, accreditation schemes, Government departments (CLG and DECC) and industry press.
- Survey highlights compliance rates of just 22% with recent commercial energy legislation
- Landlords show reluctance to commission surveys amidst depressed market conditions
- Trading standards officers to use report to target property without an EPC
South West ‘EPC’ Compliance Report published
Quidos Limited, experts in property energy assessment and compliance matters have published the results of an autumn study into commercial energy efficiency certification across several South West regions, conducted with assistance from local Trading Standards officers.
The report shows that Landlord compliance with the 1-year-old Energy Performance Certificate legislation for commercial property (currently for sale or let) was still very low, with only 22% of commercial property appearing to carry a valid energy certificate.
Areas surveyed with their compliance ratings:
| Area | Sample size | With EPC | No EPC | Not found |
| Bristol | 200 | 44 (22%) | 103 (52%) | 53 (26%) |
| BANES | 228 | 61 (26%) | 54 (23%) | 113 (49%) |
| Dorset | 55 | 10 (18%) | 29 (52%) | 16 (30%) |
| Cornwall | 125 | 22 (18%) | 73 (58%) | 30 (24%) |
| Wiltshire | 115 | 20 (17%) | 39 (34%) | 56 (49%) |
| 723 | 157 (22%) | 298 (41%) | 268 (37%) |
Although these results must be qualified by the methodology used (explained below), they have surprised many industry professionals who had considered EPC compliance to be over 80%. Whilst Quidos have stressed that the figures are at best illustrative and focussed only on the South West, they do highlight a lack of industry compliance which is likely to be repeated across the UK.
Speaking after publication, Quidos Operations Director Nick Branch spoke in favour of moves to improve awareness of energy efficiency; “These certificates provide a valuable asset rating of the energy performance of buildings. This data can and is being used by forward thinking landlords to improve the energy efficiency, and value of their property portfolio. With low cost loans available from the Carbon Trust, these energy saving improvements can be capital neutral in the short term and revenue generating in the longer term.”
Trading Standards officials across the region are now taking an active interest in the findings of the report, and have requested monthly updates to monitor progress. With EPC prices at an all time low, Landlords are now advised to have their available property surveyed to avoid on-the-spot fines of up to £5000.
Nick Branch later continued, “We are extremely pleased with this outcome, and predict that as word gets out, more TSOs will follow suit. The 5 offices included in the survey to date are now working with Quidos to obtain monthly updates which suggests that monitoring of compliance will improve.”
“As well as conducting additional surveys around the UK, Quidos is now contacting commercial property agents to publicise the report and the potential consequences for their clients should they fail to comply. Agents have been on the whole very interested, and although not ultimately liable to ensure EPCs are produced, still have an important role to play in the process.”
Report Methodology Explained
Quidos used market data on ‘available’ commercial property supplied by CoStar during August and September. This data was then cross referenced with the Government-sponsored, Landmark central register of valid EPC reports to gauge compliance. The survey returns 3 results:
Property found, EPC found – the property address matched an existing Landmark entry, and a valid EPC was present.
Property found, EPC not found – the property address matched an existing Landmark entry, but a valid EPC report was not present.
Property not found – the exact property address could not be matched against the Landmark database.
Where property is not found, there are two potential explanations: Either the property has not been surveyed, and no EPC exists, or, the property has been surveyed, but registered under a different address to that supplied by CoStar.
The full report can be read here.
Quidos’s research further underlines previous non compliance studies in the commercial EPC field by NHER which included comparable figures.
The government's greenprint
24 July 2009
By Thomas Davies, Safe Style UK
Or, at least that was the case until last week, when it published its carbon transition plan: practical proposals to make just about everything more energy-efficient. The aim is to reduce carbon emission in 2020 to 34% of their level in 1990. A large proportion of this target set by the government will be met by promoting eco-friendly building materials such as double glazing.
The plan should be broadly welcomed, largely because it contains achievable targets backed up by more detail than usual, and there is plenty in there to help the construction industry. For example, it proposes that 15% of the target should be met by improving existing homes including whole-house energy-efficiency makeovers for seven million of them by 2020.These makeovers will also be an opportunity to promote the use of energy saving building materials like double glazing or eco-friendly wall insulation.
Meanwhile, we had another piece of good news with the announcement that a definition of zero carbon has finally been agreed, and that it dovetails neatly with the carbon transition plan. Ever since the Code for Sustainable Homes was published, the industry has been complaining about the difficulty and expense of making homes self-sufficient in energy. Therefore, there was plenty to celebrate when John Healey, the housing minister, announced that only 70% of a new home’s energy needs had to be met onsite. This would be achieved by using materials such as double glazing and eco-friendly wall insulation.
The remaining 30% of energy for new housing will come from “allowable solutions”. Housebuilders will be required to invest in low carbon heat infrastructure or export spare heat to other developments, invest in energy-efficient appliances or possibly fund offsite wind farms. On the policy level, this fits well with the carbon transition plan that aims at drastically reducing the UK’s carbonfootprint. This will be achieved by launching plans such as “green mortgages” which aim at encouraging homeowners to carry out energy efficient home improvements such fit double glazing or solar panels to their homes.
UK to Miss Carbon Targets in the Building Sector by 1 Billion Tonnes by 2030
– Equivalent to 25 Years of UK Aviation Emissions
26 June 2009
By Journalism.co.uk
Energy Efficiency industries are coming together on an invitation from Lord Rupert Redesdale, who is the Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Climate Change Group. They will be presenting information to highlight the need for much stronger policy in order to achieve the government’s Climate Change targets. The meeting called The Domestic Carbon Time bomb is taking place on Monday 29th at 2.00pm in the Committee Room 14, House of Commons.
Carbon from the built environment is responsible for approximately a third of carbon emitted in Britain. Programmes to improve energy efficiency in existing buildings must be fast tracked if government wants to achieve the low carbon economic recovery it claims to support. The industries are also driving for the better use of the EPCs to help achieve more improvement to homes. Measures such as making it impossible to rent a house or flat that are not as energy efficient as they could be, indicated by the energy performance certificate, and should be introduced as a matter of urgency in both the business and private sector.
The group will also argue that a holistic approach to the refurbishment of the housing stock needs to be introduced as quickly as possible. As each year passes and the policies do not get off the ground then this will add millions of tonnes of carbon to the atmosphere and increase the rate of climate change.
It is a frightening fact that by 2030 the amount of carbon that needs to be saved will certainly not happen under the current system. Lord Redesdale said: "A billion tonnes will have failed to be saved from domestic carbon emissions and this is equivalent to the CO2 pollution from Britain’s aviation sector over the next twenty five years. We can either heat our homes and have hot baths, or fly but not both. There really does need to be much tougher policies on reducing carbon emissions from the homes."
Each of the energy efficiency industries will present actions that need to be taken and a website www.G2Action.org will be launched at the meeting.
BACKLOG OF EPC’s FOR COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES INCREASES
05 June 2009
Landlords face huge fines for non-compliance.
Today National Energy Services (NES) released a research report highlighting an 81% level of EPC non-compliance within the commercial property industry. Government have consistently stated that the task of policing compliance is down to Trading Standards but have not issued specific guidance procedures.
Energy Assessor Panel along with NES, PSG Energy and ERS has been lobbying Government for months on the issue of non-compliance that has resulted in it promising to do so. This means that an estimated massive 1.6 million properties that currently do not comply either have to have an EPC produced or face huge fines of 12.5% of their rateable value up to £5,000.
NEW RESEARCH REVEALS EXTENT OF NON-COMPLIANCE WITH ENERGY REGULATIONS IN UK COMMERCIAL PROPERTY SECTOR
Even the greenest of businesses are unlikely to be able to make informed choices about the energy efficiency of the premises they buy or rent right now, according to new research published today by National Energy Services (NES).
In a mystery shopping exercise to check on compliance with European and UK law relating to the energy efficiency of buildings in the commercial property sector, NES discovered that more than 80% of agents it spoke to were unable to provide the mandatory Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for the offices or shops they were marketing for sale or rent. These certificates are a critical part of the Government‟s efforts to reduce carbon emissions and energy bills for businesses.
88 out of 108 agents (81%) failed to provide an EPC. Almost half of these agents (47%, or 41 agents) said they believed the certificate was not necessary, or just could not give an explanation about why no EPC was available.
National Energy Services, which runs the NHER accreditation scheme, the UK‟s largest accreditation scheme for EPCs, is calling for Government to get rid of the anomalies between the commercial property sector and the residential sector where EPCs are much more readily available.
Austin Baggett, deputy managing director of National Energy Services 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."
“EPCs are a great vehicle to deliver the UK‟s carbon reduction plans. We have all the infrastructure in place, including thousands of qualified energy assessors ready to provide these certificates at short notice. But with 80% of commercial buildings not complying with the regulations, the potential for carbon and financial savings by business is seriously undermined.
“The display of the EPC rating should be mandatory on all commercial building particulars used by agents to market the building. This is already in place for the sale of homes, and it brings real transparency and help to consumers. In this way, the industry can almost police itself. But this does not reduce the importance of Trading Standard Officers actually going out and checking on compliance and taking action where necessary– something that they are clearly not doing at the moment."
“The energy assessor community is ready and waiting to work with Government and business to overcome the current problems with non-compliance. We would like to see a pan-industry working group that involves our members working on boosting understanding within the commercial property market. NHER energy assessors‟ skills, contacts and enthusiasm could and should be harnessed to communicate information at a local level.”
The NES research points out that, as a result of implementation of the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive in the UK, it is a legal requirement that all commercial buildings being marketed for sale or rent should now have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) available to inform prospective buyers and tenants about the energy performance of the building.
This requirement was phased in throughout 2008 and took full effect on 4 January 2009. It applies equally to all „non-domestic‟ buildings – from large city-centre offices to the typical High Street shops and offices that make up the vast majority of our commercial property stock.
Following anecdotal reports that compliance is very patchy, National Energy Services decided to investigate by undertaking a mystery shopper exercise among the leading commercial property agents in five regions in England and Wales who were offering commercial buildings for sale or rent.
Between 27 April and 22 May 2009, NES researchers telephoned 108 commercial property agents across five English regions on the pretext of acting for clients interested in renting or purchasing the freehold for a typical High Street office or shop. All agents were given until 1 June 2009 to contact the surveyor should an EPC have become available.
NES‟s experience was that the EPC either appeared within 48 hours of the conversation with the agent or not at all. Indeed, 88 of the agents (81%) failed to provide an EPC. When asked why not:
- Almost half (47% - 41 agents) said they believed an EPC was not necessary, or that they just didn‟t know.
- A further third (36% - 32 agents) said that they would only get an EPC at the point of sale. (This is in breach of the regulations which require the EPC to be provided well before entering into any contract to sell or let).
- 17% (15 agents) said that they believed the EPC was in the process of being undertaken.
NES is making four major recommendations as a result of the research:
- Make the display of the EPC rating mandatory on all commercial building particulars used by agents to market the building. This measure could be achieved for commercial buildings quickly and at little or no cost.
- Place the legal responsibility of providing an EPC on the actual entity marketing the commercial building (e.g. the commercial property agent). Currently, it is the responsibility of the seller or landlord offering the building for sale or let to make an EPC available for their building. This is unlike the dwellings sector, where the legal liability rests with the seller‟s estate agent.
- Make the implications of non-compliance more acute by increasing the penalties. The current levels of penalties range between £500 and £5,000 depending upon a building‟s rateable value. Clearly this is not providing a deterrent to non compliance and therefore there is an argument that the penalties and enforcement are inadequate.
- The Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) should reinvigorate their communication programme with the property industry (particularly in the segment of smaller commercial buildings) and with trading standards departments.
To read a full copy of the report, go to: http://tinyurl.com/nhernews
On behalf of National Energy Services by Liz Male Consulting Ltd.
EPCs for schools reveal performance shortfall
02 June 2009
Over half of new schools obliged to report their energy performance via an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) are falling into the lower bands for asset efficiency.
BSD, by Roderic Bunn
As reported by BSRIA, in response to a parliamentary question tabled by shadow climate change minister Gregory Barker, the schools minister Jim Knight revealed that 28 secondary schools and 64 primary schools had EPCs at the end of 2008. Of those 92 schools only 43 have performed in bands A-C (see table).
Since October 2008 all public buildings with a floor area greater than 1000m2 are required to have an annual Display Energy Certificate (DEC) showing their energy performance. This obliges new schools built under Building Schools for the Future programme to have an EPC. This has to be followed by a DEC once 12 months energy data is available.
The certificate has to be publicly visible. Existing schools which are refurbished will also need to publicise their DEC ratings. School buildings will require an Advisory Report providing recommendations for energy improvements each seven years.
In January, Jim Knight promised that efficiency band percentage splits for DECs will be made available "in the next two weeks". However, at the time of writing the data were not available.
Both DECs and EPCs are recorded on a national register available at www.ndepcregister.com. An EPC or DEC certificate can only be retrieved if the unique Report Retrieval Number (RRN) is known. The database cannot be accessed by building name.
"Individual school energy data are kept confidential, and Communities and Local Government only receive aggregated data from the register," explained Jim Knight.
"There are no plans to publish individual school energy data although many local authorities and schools hold these data themselves," adding: "We do not keep records of whether schools have incurred penalties for non-compliance."
Council to clash with MEPs over efficient buildings
02 June 2009
EU states look set to clash with the European Parliament over plans to revise the energy performance of buildings directive. Several amendments adopted by MEPs in April are "overly ambitious and unrealistic", according to a council report issued on Friday.
ENDS Europe
The report outlines progress in council discussions on a package of draft energy efficiency legislation covering buildings' energy performance (EE 23/04/09), energy labelling (EE 13/11/08) and tyre labelling (EE 22/04/09). Talks on all three proposals will continue under the Swedish EU presidency in the second half of the year.
The most substantive discussions in the Council of Ministers have so far centred on efficient buildings, according to the report. A number of governments have expressed concern with several of the amendments proposed by MEPs in their first reading of the plans.
Many delegations have also called for the revised rules to put more of an emphasis on improving efficiency in new buildings, rather than existing ones. One suggestion is to reduce a current 1,000 square metre threshold above which existing buildings undergoing major refurbishment must meet minimum national efficiency standards to 250 m3, rather than scrap it altogether as proposed by the European Commission.
On tyre labelling, some governments want to adopt a new environmental performance label "as soon as feasible". Many also support the parliament's call for a regulation on tyres rather than a directive as proposed by the commission. The EU executive will table an amended proposal in the form of a regulation shortly, according to the report.
Several governments have expressed doubts over the inclusion of construction products in draft revised EU energy labelling rules. Some are also sceptical of the commission's plan to set minimum efficiency standards for green public procurement and public incentive schemes through product-specific implementing measures. MEPs adopted their first reading position on the plans in May.
UK government must insulate energy inefficient commercial buildings, report warns
02 March 2009
The UK government must tackle energy inefficient commercial buildings if it is to meet stiff emissions reduction targets, a new report warns.
Published by Environmental Data Interactive Exchange (EDIE)
Speeding up the "thermal refurbishment" of inefficient non-domestic buildings could also create up to 50,000 new "green collar" jobs and save organisations around £450 million in energy bills, according to a report by consultancy Caleb Management Services.
The report says: "In order to help meet government's carbon reduction targets, the UK as a whole must address its inefficient non-domestic building stock."
"The scale of the challenge, to refurbish up to 2 million existing non-domestic buildings and achieve at least an 80 per cent cut in carbon emissions by 2050, is somewhat daunting, and clearly cannot be done by a business as usual approach."
Caleb, commissioned to draft the report by manufacturer Kingspan Insulated Panels, says existing non-domestic building stock shows "poor energy performance".
They emit more than 100 million tons of CO2 per year - some 18 per cent of total UK emissions.
It declares energy efficient buildings "need to be at the frontline of emission reduction efforts".
It advocates an "accelerated thermal refurbishment programme" as part of a Green New Deal to stimulate the economy.
The insulation programme would see existing non-domestic buildings upgraded to a minimum Display Energy Certificate/Energy Performance Certificate rating of C between 2010 and 2022.
Caleb estimates presently some 80% of existing buildings are rated below C.
It urges the government to provide upfront zero or low interest loans as an incentive to do the work, to be paid back from future savings.
The work could be done at a cost of £1.18 billion per year, it calculates, or £14.7 billion in total by 2022 resulting in related saving of some £5.65 billion per year.
The programme would generate between 30,000 and 50,000 long term jobs, cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 23Mt a year and save around £450 million a year in energy bills, it estimates.
"Now is the time to accelerate the refurbishment of non-domestic buildings," the report says.
It adds: "The climate, energy security and employment benefits of accelerated refurbishment are significant and increasingly important for the country as a whole."
The Non-domestic Buildings Refurbishment Report was launched last week at a parliamentary reception addressed by Energy and Climate Change secretary Ed Miliband.
Louis Eperjesi, Kingspan managing director, said the firm hopes "the government follows this lead in promoting measures which would help secure a triple-benefit of more jobs, fewer carbon emissions and lower energy bills for hard-pressed businesses".
David Gibbs
‘Green buildings’ will mean more savings
26 February 2009
Refurbishing office buildings to a higher environmental standard would create around 30,000 new jobs and save companies more than £700m ($1bn) a year, according to a study.
By Fiona Harvey, Environment Correspondent, Financial Times, 25 February 2009
The construction industry is taking a renewed interest in “green building”, which could provide the sector with a much-needed boost as it struggles with the effects of the recession.
Gordon Brown, the prime minister, has leant his weight to efforts to raise the environmental standards of homes through a widespread programme of insulation, but this has focused on the domestic market.
Non-domestic buildings, including offices, public buildings such as hospitals and factories account for nearly a fifth of the UK’s emissions, according to a study from the consultancy Caleb Management Services, commissioned by Kingspan, the insulation manufacturer. About £27bn is spent a year on average in refurbishing such buildings, but many refurbishments devote little attention to improving the efficiency and environmental performance of the buildings.
The study concluded that spending 7 per cent more on refurbishment would cut carbon emissions by the equivalent of taking 5m cars off the road, and would lead to the creation of between 30,000 and 50,000 jobs.
Alan Whitehead, chair of the parliamentary renewable and sustainable energy group, said: “If the government’s emissions reduction targets are going to be met, then energy efficiency has to be the place to start. [There is] huge scope for emissions savings in buildings such as schools, hospitals, factories and warehouses.”
Buildings must now be rated for their energy efficiency, receiving an Energy Performance Certificate graded A to G according to their performance. But few buildings meet the higher standards, and the government’s own building stock are among the worst offenders: about three quarters of the UK’s public buildings were graded at D or below in a recent test.
The report found that many of the measures, such as enhanced capital allowances, put in place by government to help companies to cut emissions from their buildings were difficult for businesses to access.
In recent years, the construction industry has been reluctant to embrace “green buildings”, seeing them as an extra cost which would cut into their margins and discourage buyers. But the precipitous decline in the industry’s fortunes owing to the recession has encouraged companies to look to new areas of potential investment, such as low-emissions homes and offices, many of which qualify for some form of government support.
Every UK home to get green makeover
13 February 2009
Government proposes "green version of Changing Rooms" for housing stock and hints small businesses could also access new financing mechanisms
James Murray, BusinessGreen, 12 Feb 2009
Every home and small business in the UK could gain access to free or low-cost measures to enhance their energy efficiency as part of a nationwide programme proposed by the government today, which promises to deliver a huge boost to providers of energy-efficient and microgeneration technologies.
Likening the proposed "Great British Refurb" to the 1960s rollout of an entirely new gas network, energy and climate change secretary Ed Miliband said the government would aim to provide whole-house energy makeovers to seven million homes by 2020 and cut carbon emissions by a third on 2006 levels by the same date.
He added that in addition to the medium-term targets, the government would seek to ensure every home has access to whole-home refurbishment services by 2030 and cut emissions from the entire UK housing stock to almost zero by 2050.
"We are proposing a universal street-by-street, house-by-house scheme with everyone offered free or low-cost advice," he said. "This cannot just be about a few million homes – we need to think bigger than that."
Central to the new plan are proposals for a new financing scheme designed to help householders overcome the high up-front costs typically associated with the installation of energy-efficient and microgeneration technologies.
Under the scheme, householders would be offered loans to cover the cost of green refurbishments with repayments being made through part of the savings on energy bills that would result.
Miliband said that importantly, repayment of the loan would effectively be linked to the property rather than the resident. "People only live in their homes for an average of nine years, [and] when we talk about up-front costs of £4,000 or £5,000 [for green refurbishments] they would not recoup the cost in saved energy bills [before moving]," he said, adding that under the scheme the next resident would be able to continue to make the repayments from the continued savings on their energy bills.
The loans are expected to be provided by a range of different entities, including energy companies, local authorities and potentially loan providers such as banks and supermarkets.
Miliband admitted that the government had not yet looked at the regulatory regime that will govern the loans, but he said that several local authorities had already expressed interest in offering green home financing schemes and predicted that private sector companies would be interested in a lending model that guarantees them a reliable revenue stream.
The proposals are now open to public consultation and Miliband said the government would also look at extending the financing scheme to small businesses to help the commercial sector deliver similar improvements to the building stock.
Speaking at the launch of the scheme, housing minister Margaret Beckett said that the refurbishment programme would be truly universal, with the social housing sector set to benefit from government subsidies that will make it a " giant demonstration project" for other sectors of the housing stock. She added that the government would also offer the same financing and incentives to landlords, and investigate the measures that may be needed to be taken to ensure costs are fairly split between tenants and landlords.
In addition to the new financing schemes, the strategy confirms plans to roll out a feed-in tariff for installations of microgeneration technologies in April 2010 and introduce a new incentive scheme for deployments of renewable heat technologies by July 2011.
It also sets out many new measures designed to underpin the rollout, including plans to provide free or low-cost energy audits to every home, set up a central body to co-ordinate how companies and local councils undertake refurbishments, and set up accreditation schemes for installers.
The proposals were broadly welcomed by green and business groups, which praised the scale of the measures and the move to overcome the high up-front costs that have hampered all previous attempts to promote energy-efficiency measures.
Colin Butfield, head of campaigns at WWF UK, praised the government's " laudable targets", adding that a focus on enhancing the energy efficiency of the building stock represented the most cost-effective way of cutting emissions. However, he warned that the government needed to provide more details on precisely how the various schemes will be funded as "a matter of urgency".
His sentiments were echoed by Paul King, chief executive of the UK Green Building Council, who said that the strategy could help to create 40,000 new jobs and showed that the government "understands the scale of the challenge and has set suitably ambitious targets".
But he also called on the Treasury "to raise its game in the upcoming Budget " and provide more immediate funding to help promote green refurbishments. " Financial incentives are needed to encourage major green refurbishments – the precedent has already been set with stamp duty rebates for zero-carbon homes," he said, adding that the government should also promise to underwrite its proposed loan scheme to encourage take-up and step up efforts to promote green refurbishment of commercial buildings.
Miliband admitted that the proposals had not yet been fully costed as the final bill would depend on the rate of take-up of the new services and financing schemes, the final level of the feed-in tariff and renewable heat incentive that is still being worked on, and the extent to which economies of scale enjoyed by expanding developers of microgeneration technologies such as heat pumps and solar panels results in cost savings.
EPCs: costly and complex for pubs
05 February 2009
Licensees are still confused over Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and are unwilling to pay for them in the difficult trading environment.
By Gemma McKenna, Morning Advertiser
EPCs are still causing confusion
That’s the message from leading energy consultants about controversial EPCs, which rate commercial properties on energy efficiency.
The new certificates became compulsory from 4 January 2009. Sellers risk penalties from £500 to £5,000 for failure to provide one to a prospective buyer.
Steven Daniels, sales director with BES Consulting, which provides Marston’s energy compliance services, said: “There has not been a surge from customers buying energy performance certificates, because I still don’t think they understand the consequences or legislation. But larger corporations do understand and are following procedure.”
He added: “Smaller solicitors aren’t getting the message across to their clients.”
Darren Bond, head of valuation services, at Christie + Co, said: “Most people know they should have one, but it is difficult for licensees to understand the tangible benefits when the industry faces other challenges.”
But he pointed out that in the longer term it should save licensees money.
Andrew Whelan, managing director of EPCforProperty, said: “There was a rush to get them done before 4 January, but since then demand has been steady.
“Some people also aren’t aware that there is a difference between domestic and commercial EPCs.”
All three agents agreed that sellers are reluctant to pay for an EPC up front, but once their property is under offer they are happy to pay for it. An average pub can expect to pay around £500 for an EPC.