There are a number of legal requirements introduced by the UK government that may affect your business or organisation. Listed below are the most prominent legislative and regulative measures in operation today.
The Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC)
The CRC will come into effect in April 2010. Eligible businesses are those with either:
- At least one half-hourly meter installed on the premises
- Total annual half-hourly meter readings exceeding 6,000 MWh in 2008
The government predicts that this will affect around 5,000 organisations in the UK alone and failure to comply will result in financial (amongst other) penalties. For more information, see the Department for Energy and Climate Change’s “CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme” website.
Energy Performance Certificates (EPC)
EPCs are now required for all commercial buildings when constructed, rented or sold. The aim is to provide an indication of how energy efficient the building is, using a scale of A-G (where A is the most efficient). The rating is produced using a standard method by an accredited energy assessor. This allows a prospective tenant to compare the energy efficiency of buildings when making a rental or purchasing decision.
The EPC is accompanied by a report that lists both cost effective and other measures to improve the efficiency of the building. For more information, please see the Communities and Local Government’s “Energy Performance Certificates (public and commercial buildings)” website.
Display Energy Certificates (DEC)
DECs are required for any building with a useful floor area of over 1000m² that are occupied by a public authority and institutions providing a public service to a large number of persons1.
The DEC shows the actual energy use of the building to allow the public to see its energy efficiency. The certificate must be displayed at all times and be clearly visible to the public. For more information, please see the Communities and Local Government’s “Display Energy Certificates” website.
How We Can Help
Eview can consult on how best to make sure that your organisation complies with current legislation and regulation. Through our network of energy assessors we can arrange assessment for EPCs and DECs as well as advising on longer term energy monitoring solutions such as our own Ecoview energy monitoring product.
