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Energy Performance Certificates will be needed for offices, retail and industrial units, whether sold or rented, and this will be phased in with a requirement from 1st October 2008.
If you have a building that uses heating or air conditioning then you will probably require an EPC when it is sold or let.
The EPC required for any space you offer for sale or let must reflect the energy performance of the accommodation on offer.
Selling or letting part of a building, where the building has a common heating system
If a building has a common heating system then the seller or prospective landlord can prepare an EPC for the whole building. This EPC may then be made available for any part of the building subsequently offered for sale or let. It is also possible to prepare an EPC for a part designed or altered to be used separately.
Buildings with separate parts and separate heating systems
An EPC should be prepared for each part of a building that is being offered separately for sale or let. The EPC should reflect the services in those part(s) being offered for sale or let. A separate EPC should be provided for any common areas that exist solely or mainly for access to the part.
Selling or letting a building as a whole
You can prepare an EPC for the whole building, even if that building has parts designed or altered to be used separately with separate heating systems. If the building has a common heating system, the EPC may subsequently be used for any part of the building offered for sale or let.
Residential accommodation
Any separate residential accommodation that is self-contained will require its own EPC. Residential space that can only be accessed via commercial premises will be assessed with the commercial premises as a single building.
Modifications to a building
If a building is modified to have more or less parts that are designed or altered to be used separately and the modification includes the provision or extension of heating, hot water, air conditioning or mechanical ventilation then an EPC for the building must be provided on completion of the work.
Further guidance on whether buildings require an EPC can be found in "a guide to energy performance certificates for the construction, sale and let of non dwellings" which can be downloaded from the Communities and Local Government website.
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