MEES Non-Domestic EPC Update

After many many many months of deliberation and probably forgetting that they were consulting on it, the Government have released an update on the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) for non-domestic Energy Performance Certificates (EPC).

Key points;

All buildings <1,000m2 - no change, still have to achieve EPC 'E' rating

All buildings >1,000m2 - will have to achieve EPC 'B' rating by 2031

Same exemptions apply

So...what do we think? My initial reaction, as so often when such consultations are finally released, is of disappointment. A huge opportunity missed and mixed messages.

The vast majority of our non-domestic buildings are <1,000m2 (think high street properties for starters), so they're effectively saying that they don't matter. I can't help but draw the comparison with Display Energy Certificates whereby smaller buildings (the same 1,000m2 threshold) only require a certificate every 10 years, whilst larger buildings require an annual renewal, regardless of consumption and most importantly energy intensity or kWh/m2 - it's a missed opportunity and complicates things even more, why have one rule for some and another for others?

EPC 'B' will also be incredibly difficult to achieve, especially as the Government in their wisdom abandoned the milestone 'C' requirement that was initially due in 2027; without that stepping stone, buildings that are 'E' now will have to make a huge leap.

The positives? Well, at least MEES for non-domestic is still in place as there must have been a real threat that it was going to be wiped out entirely, and by having the deadline 5 years from now it gives landlords and property developers time to make the necessary changes.

A big impact on EPC ratings will be how the electricity carbon factor changes - in recent years it has plummeted due to increased amounts of renewable technology (solar and wind farms) and the removal of coal - this means that buildings using electric-based heating, including heat pumps, will benefit far more as the gas carbon factor remains static. i.e. the dash for gas is now the sprint for electricity...but in layman's terms, how much electricity do we have available to power and heat all of our buildings?

Food for thought - it's great something has been released but it has taken far too long and that 'C' milestone has now bypassed, and by effectively only focussing on larger buildings a huge opportunity has been missed.

#carbonzero #energyefficiency #EPC #MEES #renewabletechnology