The phrase ‘ticking time bomb’ is much overused – but when it comes to landlords and the forthcoming changes to Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) and Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) regulations in commercial buildings, it’s almost an understatement!

Here’s the explosion that’s just around the corner in plain language: if you’re a commercial landlord or property owner, planned changes to the EPC regime mean you will no longer be allowed to rent out any property – including existing properties - with an EPC rating lower than a C.

No ambiguity, no leeway, no wiggle room: the Government is legally bound to reach net zero targets by 2030 and again in 2050, and to achieve that it has no option but to up the sustainability ante in the property sector. After all, commercial buildings currently represent 23% of built environment carbon emissions in this country, according to the UK Green Building Council.

For commercial landlords and property owners, then, the stark reality is this: get your buildings into shapeEPC-wise, or your current revenues could fall off a cliff.

But EPCs are complex beasts – so where do you turn to get help with them? And here, it’s a clear case of ‘buyer beware’!

 

EPC and MEES: sustainability or sales tools?

The major issue for commercial landlords who are honest and serious about protecting their rental income by improving their buildings’ EPC ratings is that many of the companies that offer these services will deliver a report on your building that, by default, proposes the most work possible.

These reports often take the view that EPC compliance is an ‘all or nothing’ approach, and also tend to leave timelines deliberately vague, with no defined roadmaps.

And understandably, with the pressure to meet the enhanced EPC and MEES targets growing, landlords find themselves either tempted to carry out work that isn’t necessary, or prevaricating because of cost, duration, and disruption.

In fact, the issue that is looming here is that whilst these approaches might be technically viable and result in outcomes that are more efficient, they are not feasible – and that just makes them, to use an energy metaphor, so much hot air. 

So, the devil is in the reporting – and that’s where we at GBD are ringing the changes.

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Energy Feasibility – Powered by GBD

The difference in the GBD approach to producing the report on your property is that we’re not looking to do the most work possible.

Instead, as the report name suggests – Energy Feasibility – Powered by GBD – we produce a full audit of your building, covering everything from fabric to renewables, and provide a clear, 15-point roadmap of the minimum action you need to take to feasibly get your building’s EPC rating to the magic C.

If that sounds like either half-measures or poor business sense, it’s neither – because as part of the report, we also propose further actions you could take to strengthen your EPC compliance still further.

And, critically, you’ll find no open-ended timelines or uncosted proposals in the report – how much you’ll need to spend and how long it will take are all transparently defined.

It’s the difference between trading off the panic of the coming changes to make a quick buck, and offering a calm, pragmatic helping hand to treat landlords as they should be treated: allies in the drive to achieve net zero, not intransigent obstacles to it that only respond to fear, uncertainty, and dread.

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Act now to help us help you

By going through our EnergyFeasibility report procedure, your buildings will earn a brandmark – an industry-recognised stamp of approval that sends a powerful message about your sustainability commitment to your clients, partners, and investors alike.

And to kickstart the process, it’s as simple as contacting us at info@gbuild.co.uk

Change is coming for commercial landlords – but despite what some in this industry would have you believe, rising to the challenge should be about the art of the possible and the science of the deliverable – not the craft of the upsell.

To get ahead of the MEES regulation changes, protect your rental revenues, and make your properties more energy-efficient for greater return on investment, get in touch today at info@gbuild.co.uk or visit https://www.gbuild.co.uk/services/energy-feasibility