Over the last year, energy prices skyrocketed to new highs with surging costs for businesses. Furthermore, the role of energy efficiency is at the highest point. A good option for businesses to tackle higher energy costs is to obtain the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). An official document that certifies and ensures energy efficiency of commercial properties. This article delves deeper into the certification and discusses benefits of EPC for businesses.
What is an EPC?
EPCs are official documents that certify energy efficiency of properties. Conducted by professional companies and advisors and are easily attainable for businesses and the public. EPCs are a legal requirement in most cases but can also be requested by home owners for other reasons like reducing their energy costs.
- a property lease and/or sale
- a new owner of a building after completing construction
- after renovation of the property that involves changes in the heating or ventilation systems
- a property owner applying for a grant or a Green Deal Finance.
The EPC illustrates whether the property meets all energy standards and can be traced by government officials. The EPC certification is compatible with current European standards and sustainability rules that aim for lower energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Both commercial and domestic EPC’s are valid for 10 years and will not need to be reviewed unless substantial changes have been made to the property. Additionally, Nexus Energy know that not only existing business premises needs energy checks but also new commercial property to ensure safety and compliance.
An EPC does not need to be requested for legal reasons only and can be obtained for personal reasons. As an EPC is also a tool for boosting energy efficiency to reduce costs as a result of the recommendations provided on the certificate.
Benefits of Commercial EPC Certificates
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Energy Savings
The first and one of the most crucial benefits of obtaining an EPC is to substantially improve your energy efficiency, thereby, reducing energy costs. This is becoming even more important now as the energy prices have soared to new highs. Energy savings from the certification could be massive.
An EPC helps your business reduce energy consumption from three main sources – heating, lighting, and hot water. The certification can show you how energy bills will change because of improved energy profile of the property. Making you more aware of where upgrades may be needed in the future. The energy savings could be significantly larger than the cost of the EPC.
Obtaining an EPC enhances its attractiveness for tenants, especially if the resulting rating is good. The key is to review the property and its current profile to identify the areas for improvement in order to boost energy efficiency. In addition, the certification helps boost energy efficiency by reducing emissions and improving sustainability. Therefore, an EPC can also increase the value of the property.
- Complete Energy Review and Professional Advice
Another benefit comes from the energy review process that assesses the property’s current energy performance and potential for improvements. This is helpful for the property owner because the energy review helps identify the gaps in the current energy system. As well as, identifying potential areas for improving the energy system of the property.
The review is conducted by a team of professionals who will assess the heating, lighting, and hot water systems. Therefore, identifying the current conditions, give the rating and make recommendations for improving the systems. The energy review provides important information to the property owner who can modify or renovate the property to boost its energy efficiency and increase its value.
The property owner can also benefit from EPC certification through professional advice from the team of advisors. The energy review produces a rating of the building and provides professional advice on how to improve your property’s energy efficiency. The rating includes current condition of your energy systems and lists potential parameters with all related savings and cost estimates. The advisors can tell you how to enhance the energy efficiency of your building. The key is the advice that is provided by certified professional with good knowledge and reputation in the industry.
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Environmental Benefits
An EPC certification also provides benefits to the environment. A more efficient property leads to substantially reduced emissions, which contribute to lower carbon emissions. A sustainable profile of the property is likely to attract more buyers and tenants. Nexus Energy knows that an EPC certificate can be a great first step to analysing your business’s carbon footprint
In addition, changing regulations that promote sustainability and use of renewable energy favour more energy efficient properties. These may include more favourable taxation and lending programs to promote a more sustainable future. As a result, an EPC helps your business become more environmentally friendly, sustainable, and save on other expenses.
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Higher Property Value
Another monetary benefit of an EPC comes from the property value. An EPC means you can improve the energy efficiency of the building by upgrading it. This results in a spike in the property value due to innovation related to an EPC.
Furthermore, the property can be rented for a higher price and the owner can more easily find tenants. Generally, an EPC increases the building’s value and boosts income from renting the property. This means that investing in the property upgrade through an EPC can be valuable.
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More Transparency that Allows for Comparison
An EPC is valid for 10 years and all the information about a specific building is stored on a national register and can be publicly accessed. Each buyer and tenant can access the information and compare energy efficiency of any property. Therefore, tenants can compare different properties and decide on their efficiency.
This allows for transparent and objective comparison between buildings, which is positive for buyers and tenants. Furthermore, each buyer or tenant can find information on energy efficiency of a specific property and estimate related energy savings. An EPC shows information on how much it costs to heat the property before signing a contract, which also boosts transparency and attract environmentally conscious renters.
Summary
Increasing energy costs and the drive for greener future with more sustainability and higher efficiency has increased the necessity of an EPC for property owners. The certification provides a few benefits to businesses through more transparency, higher property value, and energy savings. An EPC allows the property owner to improve building’s efficiency, reduce energy costs, review the energy profile of the property, and contribute to more sustainable future.
