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MEES - Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards
Whilst
a year may be a long time in politics in the energy industry it can soon pass
and the reason for mentioning this now – the impending introduction of the
Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards due in April 2018.
Background
The
government has identified buildings as a major contributor to Greenhouse Gas emissions
and decided that these buildings pose a threat to the government achieving its carbon
reduction targets for 2020 and 2050. Government figures show that around 18% of
commercial properties hold the lowest F and G ratings and whilst more recently
completed buildings are usually more energy efficient it is the older buildings
that this legislation is aimed at targeting. This new legislation goes under
the acronym of MEES (Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards) and dates back to the
Energy Act of 2011.
Existing Rules
Currently
the energy ratings for commercial buildings runs from A+ (the most energy
efficient buildings) through to G which represents the least energy efficient
of buildings. First introduced in 2008
and applying to most commercial properties this rating system has proved
invaluable for tenants and landlords alike - from the tenants point of view
they are able to gain an insight as to how much energy the building will use
whilst from the landlords perspective the more energy efficient the building is
then it will likely be more readily tenanted as opposed to a building that is
less energy efficient, i.e. costs more to run.
MEES
From
April 2018 the introduction of MEES (Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards) means
that the rules and regulations surrounding the energy efficiency of commercial
buildings will be more strictly enforced
leaving the commercial property owner open to potential fines and could
result in some commercial properties being unlettable.
Any
commercial property that requires a non-domestic EPC energy assessment has to,
from April 2018, not be any worse than an E rating – basically if you own a
commercial property that is currently an F or G rating under the current system
then they will need to be improved as the new legislation means that after
April 2018 the landlord / owner will not be legally able to either rent or sell
the property.
Landlords
must not let a property below an E rating to any new tenants and they cannot
renew or extend an existing tenancy agreement after April 2018.
Potential
Exceptions to MEES
Where
an independent assessor determines that all relevant energy efficient
improvements have been made OR where the improvements that could be made would
not pay for themselves through energy savings within seven years. Level 4 Non
Domestic Energy Assessors are permitted to determine expected savings. Here
at CEAUK we are qualified to Level 4 and we are permitted to determine the repayment
cost of improvements to satisfy the Payback Test.
There
are a number of other exemptions that apply and you can discuss whether or not these
apply with us here at CEAUK.
If
a property qualifies for exemption then this must be registered on the PRS
Exemptions Register (the Register won’t be available until October 2017 and not
until April 2018 for public use).The only other exemptions include properties
let on a maximum six month lease or a
property let on a 99 years or more
lease. However landlords may want to improve the energy rating of the
building in any event.
IF YOU WISH TO REGISTER A PROPERTY FOR EXEMPTION
THEN LANDLORDS CAN DO SO AT THIS TIME – CONTACT US HERE AT CEAUK FOR GUIDANCE.
What to do
between now and April 2018
We
here at CEAUK have as a matter of course started contacting our clients who may
be effected to advise them of this change. As a property professional be it a commercial
landlord, local authority, private landlord or commercial agent then you may
want to advise your clients to review their portfolio at this moment in time.
If you have a number of commercial properties in your portfolio you may want to schedule a programme of improvements for
those properties that are rated F or G.
If
you are unsure what your responsibilities are then please feel free to contact
us here at CEAUK either by email dave@devsol.biz
or telephone 0330 381 8585 and we will help with your query.
New Legislation Due In - Don't Get Left Behind
What
a year it has been so far! Who would have thought back at the start of 2016
that by this time we would have lost so many celebrities, no longer be in the EU and that the Americans
would vote Donald Trump as the President Elect of the United States?
Truly
interesting times for all and the future still doesn’t fail to surprise. However
there are some surprises that aren’t really a surprise – they just seem that
way.
What
seems to have escaped everyone’s attention (not surprising really with
everything else that has gone on this year!) is that the legislation is changing
with regard to Energy Performance Certificates for both non domestic and
domestic properties. They have been around now for a few years and we continue
to supply a wide variety of landlords with our services, local authorities,
solicitors and private landlords as valued clients.
However
this is going to be one of those surprising surprises that really we knew about
but in the excitement of 2016 we forgot about.
The
government have in place changes that will affect all property landlords
starting in 2018 – which really is not that far away.
The
new minimum energy efficiency requirements which will apply to both domestic
and non domestic epc’s could mean that it will be unlawful to let out
properties if they do not meet new minimum standards. Please bear in mind
though that as usual there are exceptions and you may want to check first.
From
the April 2018 commercial property must have a rating better than E – any property
with a rating of F or G may well prove problematic in letting out. Such is the
concern amongst agents that some are forecasting potential drops in valuations
for those properties rated F or G.
Why
are we contacting our clients now? Well the better the lead in time to resolving
a problem the easier that the problem is to solve. So even though nothing is
going to happen for around 18 months and you may be unaware of these changes
then the chances are you will have a bigger problem down the line.
So
basically from April 2018 all property for lease or sale will have to meet
minimum energy efficiency standards and that may mean that as a landlord you
may need to improve the energy efficiency of your properties. If you have a completed
epc then you will know the rating – and if it’s below an E rating then at least
you know what to do to improve the rating.
So
rather than wait until the last moment it may well be useful to phase in a
schedule of energy efficiency improvements to your property.
Having
said all this please don’t forget that the energy efficiency software that we use,
as approved and issued by the DCLG, has over the years been improved and
refined. Whilst a few years ago a property then may have had an E rating but
with the most recent software analysis of a property that rating may be in
danger of dropping a rating to an F or G.
It
is on this basis that we are contacting our clients so that we can continue to
provide the best advice possible and if your EPC provider hasn’t contacted you
then you may want to contact them.
Having
said that if they haven’t contacted you are they looking after your best
interests? And on that note you may want to contact us to discuss your
requirements with a company that cares for its clients – just drop us an email
or give us a call.
You
can email me direct dave@devsol.biz or you
can telephone me direct on 0330 111 1082 and we can review your needs and
advise you accordingly and it may even be that, as mentioned, your property
could be exempt.
We
look forward to hearing from you with any queries you may have.
Labels: commercial property epc, commercial property energy assessment, commercial property landlord, energy performance certificate, epc
To All Our Past Present and Future Clients we should like to wish you a belated Happy New Year.
Yes - where does the time go? Once again it seems like it was only the other week that I was updating this news about what was happening here at CEAUK.
So what happened in 2015 - well we achieved and exceeded our expectations in terms of client satisfaction most clients took on board our suggestions in terms of how to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings and found tenants reasonably quickly once they had undertaken the more cost effective improvements.
We improved our return call time for messages left in working hours from around 45 minutes to a response within 15 minutes - and for that I'd like to thank all involved as it is not always easy to be available.
We have invested in some new tech so our costs have come down in terms of providing non domestic epc's - which seems to please our clients.
By way of example we completed a non domestic epc for a client back in 2012 and our fee, which was reasonable then, was around £400 - recently though that client had undertaken some improvements to the property and asked that we attend again and re-assess it - our fee this time was £265 - it just goes to show if you have the right tools in place then it doesn't cost the earth to have an epc completed by our company - unlike some of our competitors.
This last year we also welcomed some more local authorities onto our books as well as more private landlords and commercial agents.
What seems to set us above other companies (apart from our value!) is the fact that the people who you talk to will be the one's doing your epc - one email/ phone call and one point of contact - is what also makes it easy for our clients.
So for 2016 we want the company to grow again, we want to continue to offer the best service for our clients, we want to be approachable - where else would you get the assessors mobile number so that you can contact them immediately?
As we've said before and we cannot say this often enough - we are only successful because our clients appreciate what we do and keep coming back - for our part we don't wan't to let our clients down so we will continue to offer client service levels that other companies wish for.
This year, 2016 - we are looking to build on our continuing success and if you need a non domestic / commercial EPC or DEC (Display Energy Certificate) please call us and put us to the test.
Finally one of my New Year's Resolution's - update this page more often!!
Call for a quote on 03330 111 1082
Labels: CEAUK, commercial property energy assesment, commercial property energy assessment costs, energy efficiency, energy performance certificate, energy savings for the commercial landlord
The Year Ahead
Well the last twelve months have seen us move office, change telephone numbers and take on more clients.
It doesn't seem that long since I last posted what we were doing but the facts are that it is over a year since we last provided an update as to what is happening.
We have now added more local authorities to our list of preferred suppliers so we are now working for them throughout North Wales, Merseyside and Lancashire providing energy performance certificates, air conditioning reports and DEC's (display energy certificates). We have also seen a growth in private commercial landlords, solicitors and commercial agents using our company and as usual the reason we are selected is simply because we are cost effective, quick and efficient.
So our intentions for the year ahead - we are continuing to grow the business and with this in mind we will still be more competitive on price than other companies.
We will still provide advice for free and we are always contactable - and if you leave a message then we will try to beat our average return call time of 45 minutes which is where we were last year. So anyone leaving a message got a call back, on average, some 45 minutes after leaving the message. The growth we have experienced towards the end of 2014 will certainly help us improve our call back service.
So don't forget the new telephone number is now 0330 111 1082
Need an EPC or a DEC or Air Conditioning Report? Then go no further than CEAUK and call us now on 0330 111 1082.
Labels: air conditioning reports, commercial agent north west and midlands, commercial energy performance certificate, commercial property energy assesment, commercial property energy assessment costs, energy assessment costs, energy efficiency, energy performance certificate, energy savings for the commercial landlord
CEAUK - The Company with the Energy to Save
Another year seems to have flown by so quickly in
which time we have seen our business once again continue to grow.
Maybe it is
our attention to detail in producing high quality EPC’s and DEC reports as well
as Air Conditioning reports but what ever it is it certainly seems to be
working.
Just one example of one of the buildings we recently surveyed. This high tech modern structure surprised even us with the epc result.
This last year has seen us increase our commercial
landlord list and a greater number of local authorities, health authorities and
government organisations are now selecting CEAUK to undertake their energy
assessment requirements, air conditioning inspections and DEC reports which are
now required in more public places than before. We are consistently scoring
well in the areas of value for money and turnaround times for clients. By way
of example we were recently asked to undertake a large number of commercial epc’s
for a landlord that he was bringing to the rental market for the first time.
Asked
why he chose our company his reply was that it was easy to have all the
inspections and assessments carried out where there was simply one point of
contact. The landlord had also been to other companies and had been quoted a
timescale by other companies of between 4 and 6 weeks to complete the epc’s we were able to turn them around in just 3 weeks. It did mean that some of us had to
work a weekend but the point is that we are enthusiastic enough to be able to
offer that level of service at a competitive price.
In yet more positive moves CEAUK continues to
increase its landlord base by actively marketing its services through its
expanding network of contacts – all of whom prefer to rely on a company that is
specialist in what it does, meets tight deadlines and consistently produces high
quality work that is both internally and externally audited to ensure that we
maintain the high standards our clients have come to expect. It would also seem from the number of emails and calls that we receive that we are also one of
the first companies that commercial solicitors approach for advice when it comes to
commercial property epc requirements.
Another example and from a technical point of view this was interesting, a retail premises with separately owned flat over and to the side, but with the added twist of a flat roof to part of the rear of the retail property. Miss these details and the epc result is meaningless
All of this goes to demonstrate the level and
quality of service that this company offers – an aspiration that many other
companies in this area of operation wish they could match but rarely achieve.
So our story continues and please contact us if you have any queries, we are always pleased to hear from commercial property
owners and even competitors who may get a little stuck on the fine detail of how
commercial epc’s should be undertaken. You can either telephone on 0870 770 8747 or email me direct on dave@devsol.biz
EPC UPDATE
It
doesn’t seem that it has been almost a year since we last updated our news
site, but a quick check of the timeline shows just how busy we have been.
In
the last year we have been selected by a number of landlords, solicitors and
company administrators to deal with the wide variety of commercial property
that is coming to the market and requires commercial energy performance
certificates and this has kept us relatively busy. That together with our
expansion into the provision of air conditioning certificates has kept everyone
on their toes in order to meet the sometimes tight deadlines set by our
clients.
As
our area of operation is from the Midlands through the North West and includes
Shropshire and North and Mid Wales, which when we started with just our offices
here in Chester back in 2008 shows just how much we have grown by being
committed to our principles of offering value for money, fast turnaround times
and a staff that is steadfast in producing high quality energy performance and
air conditioning certification for our range of clients.
Since
April this year the more important news is the opening up of the national
register of properties with an energy certificate to the general public. Up
until then it was only certified assessors that could view the register and now
the register is available for anyone with access to a computer to review. This
means that you as a potential tenant or landlord can use this in order to help
with your eventual decision as to what your energy costs are going to be by
comparing similar commercial properties and their energy running costs.
To
save you having to hunt through for the correct link and location on the
internet simply follow this link : http://www.epcregister.com/
and it will
lead you to the register for commercial and domestic properties. Once you click
the appropriate link for either commercial or residential property you will see
a box on the top right and simply go to and click the link that says “Retrieve
Report Using Property Address”.
The
full Communities and Local Government Policy Update 4 can be found using this
link
and
if you have any other queries then please do not hesitate to contact CEAUK
either by telephone on 0870 770 8747 or email. Labels: air conditioning reports, CEAUK, commercial agent north west, commercial agents, commercial energy performance certificates, energy savings, save money on a commercial epc, wales and midlands
How an epc from CEAUK Can Help Save You Money
Before we deal with that just a quick note about our last newsletter. It really came as no surprise when the proposed introduction of the legislation that we talked about was delayed - it now seems that it will be October when responsibility for having an energy performance certificate for a commercial building sale or letting will also become the agents responsibility. So those commercial agents who are aware are currently contacting us to ensure there is no room for litigation – and as a commercial agent you can protect yourself by contacting us sooner rather than later.
But today we are looking at the benefits of the epc to the landlord and the tenant which many people seem to have overlooked. We all know that an epc has to be produced as part of the sale or rental process for a commercial property. The energy performance certificate alone shows how efficient the building is in terms of its use of energy and what many people don’t realise is that the report comes in two parts.
The certificate itself shows graphically on a scale of A+ to G just how efficient the building is at the time of the survey, and this is relatively useful as it can be used as a benchmark. A+ being the most energy efficient whereas a G rating is the worst, therefore anything from an A to a G rating can be improved upon and savings could be made.
However the part of the report that shows how and where you can save money comes in the second part of the report which very few people seem to appreciate.
The recommendations report is probably the more important part as this identifies where savings can be made in terms of energy usage, and this in turn usually results in a financial saving. Something as simple as changing your fluorescent tubes to more energy efficient fluorescent tubes can result in the building being more energy efficient and therefore produce a cost saving. If you are using tungsten filament lighting then change to compact fluorescent and you will see a saving, in recent years the performance of these systems has greatly improved.
It is amazing the number of commercial properties with central heating with one central control. If there were thermostats fitted to each of the radiators then the system would be more energy efficient.
At the other extreme, in terms of the initial installation cost, the fitting of PV (solar) panels to the roof provide savings, and in some circumstances CHP, ground or air source pumps all provide energy savings and with the increasing cost of energy then the more economically and energy efficient minded landlords are all considering these alternatives.
Here at CEAUK we can help set your benchmark against which the improvements you make can be assessed and the financial benefits appreciated. The recommendations report we produce for your commercial property is unique to that property and if acted upon improvements can be made in your energy usage.
If you would like more information on how we can help then contact us and we will see what we can do to help you use less energy and become more efficient. Telephone 0870 770 8747
Labels: commercial agent north west and midlands, commercial epc, commercial property energy assesment, commercial property landlord
EPC Update
It is amazing how quickly the year seems to pass by, soon July 1st will be upon us and the most recent legislation regarding commercial property epc’s is set to be enforced.
Until now many sales and leases of commercial property have avoided commissioning an epc until contract exchange because of the perceived high costs and the apparent lack of enforcement.
When commercial epc’s were introduced there was a period of grace – 28 days from the point of marketing a commercial property were allowed to elapse before you were legally required to provide an epc.
July 1st will see that period of grace reduced to just 7 days and with a further twist not only will the owner / landlord now be responsible for ensuring that the property is marketed with a valid epc but the agent will now also find themselves liable to being penalised with what is termed “a substantial fine”. In an attempt to clampdown on commercial properties being marketed without a valid epc Trading Standard Officers will have increased powers to ask for the paperwork and any party not complying will also be liable to a substantial financial penalty.
We understand that the perceived costs of producing an epc can be high – but usually only when you use the services of a third party. By coming direct to a specialist company such as CEAUK it is the most cost effective way to comply with the legislation.
Here at CEAUK we simply produce epc’s, undertake air conditioning inspections and DEC’s – this is what we do and we are particularly good at it.
Many of our clients are surprised as to how inexpensive it is to comply with current epc legislation and this is what sets CEAUK apart from other companies.
So make certain that you comply and contact CEAUK on 08707 708 747.
By way of a salutary tale I parked on yellow lines the other day rather than put the car in the car park – cost to me for parking for 15 minutes was £25 courtesy of the traffic warden (and if I hadn't paid within 28 days the fine would have doubled).
Is it worth taking the chance because by not commissioning an epc you could be looking at fines that are considerably more than my errant parking – if like me you really hate being fined then telephone us today, we won’t sort out your parking but we will ensure that your commercial property is compliant with epc legislation. Labels: commercial agents, commercial epc, commercial property energy assesment, commercial property landlord, EPBD
CHP - Handy Tool to see if it works for you
Over the last couple of weeks we have undertaken a number of epc’s on some pretty substantial buildings and having gone through the reports with the respective owners we are being asked about the true value of installing a CHP system– for those not familiar with the jargon it stands for Combined Heat and Power. Basically a CHP system generates electricity on site and uses the heat generated in the process to reduce overall fuel consumption and therefore fuel costs. The true value of installing such a system though depends on a number of factors not least of which is the cost of installing such a system. The benefits then would be that you could see a reduction in your energy usage costs, a reduction in CO2 emissions and the systems can be highly efficient. There are a number of systems available but they aren’t suitable for all properties and indeed even with the present level of utility prices it may still not be economically feasible and therein has lain the problem – how best to advise our clients and to be fair, anyone else who is interested in this relatively new technology. The government though has come to the rescue and produced an interactive assessment as to the suitability for your particular property. Like all helpful advice from the government though it does come with a warning that its “an innovative tool that allows anyone with an interest in developing CHP to get a first impression of the suitability of this energy efficient technology for their organisation.” Basically by clicking the link below (or cut and paste it into your browser) it will take you to the web site, alternatively seek it out yourself from the DECC website – but this link works just as well. You can register and you will get a couple of more features but we used it to test a couple of buildings without registering and it worked equally well. However there is a disclaimer on the initial page that should be noted and like the DECC we accept no responsibility for the accuracy or reliability nor do we accept any loss or liability arising from the interpretation of the reports produced. Having got that out of the way I have to say we found it really quite useful and you don’t need reams of paperwork to try the system. If you haven’t got your own energy consumption data to hand the programme will make assumptions – for more accurate results you will need to know your electricity consumption and costs going back two or three years. Once this data has been entered there are a few other boxes to complete and then your results appear. It really is that simple. Labels: chp, commercial energy performance certificate, commercial property energy assesment, energy savings for the commercial landlord
CEAUK - Leading the way in Energy Assessments
CEAUK have been busy. The company best known for providing energy performance certificates for commercial buildings that are for sale or lease have now expanded their services to include air conditioning inspections and the provision of DEC's (display energy certificates).
Since 2008 it has been a legal requirement that any commercial building that is for sale or lease must have an energy performance certificate “ there are exceptions to this general rule but in the main if you are selling or seeking a tenant then a commercial property energy certificate is required. Here at CEAUK we have been providing these since their inception with all our surveyors qualified to level 4 which allows them to undertake these assessments on all but the most complex commercial buildings.
Recently though the demand for DEC's and air conditioning inspections has resulted in an increase in demand for our services which we are pleased to be able to supply.
A spokesperson at CEAUK said ”As the legislation has been in place for sometime it is good to see that the take up by responsible landlords and commercial agents is increasing and it is this demand that has encouraged us to invest in the provision of air conditioning inspections and the provision of DEC's." He added "This is our commitment to the future of energy saving, if we can help commercial property owners and their tenants save money in these economic austere times by using less fuel for heating and lighting then everyone benefits"
Asked about the additional services that CEAUK now provide they went on to say "It seemed that as we were being asked to provide inspections for air conditioning units and supply DEC's to commercial properties then it was a natural organic growth area for our company to move into"
Based in Chester in the North West and covering the North West and Midlands for the supply of energy performance certificates, DEC's and air conditioning inspections. Telephone 0870 7708747 for further information. Labels: CPEA, DEC commercial property energy assessments, energy performance certificate, Grade II listed commercial property energy assessors, landlords
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