Manchester has most efficient commercial buildings

Manchester has the best commercial buildings for energy efficiency, as 20% of buildings have a rating of A or B, analysis from the British Property Federation (BPF) has found.

After that comes London, at 19%, followed by Leeds and Liverpool, both at 18%.

Just 2% of commercial buildings have an EPC rating of C, while 15% have B, highlighting how there’s plenty of room for improvement in the sector.

Rob Wall, assistant director, British Property Federation, said:

“Commercial and industrial buildings account for around a third of all building emissions. The sector has a critical role to play in tackling climate change. Yet the government continues to keep owners and investors in the dark about future minimum energy efficiency standards.

“Our research shows the scale of the challenge we face in retrofitting our commercial buildings, across all asset types and across the UK. The lack of a response to the 2021 consultation is hugely frustrating and is making a tough situation worse. The targets proposed in 2021 no longer look achievable, and we would call for the proposed interim EPC C target to be abandoned entirely.

“To be clear, we support higher minimum standards, and we are seeing improvements in the EPC ratings of commercial buildings. But progress is slow. If we are to have any chance of hitting an EPC B target by the early 2030s then we need clarity from government now.”

The current proposals for EPC ratings in the commercial sector, consulted on in 2021, are a target of EPC C by 2027 and EPC B by 2030.

To date, there has been no response to the 2021 consultation and this delay makes the proposed interim milestone of EPC C by 2027 unrealistic, and the EPC B by 2030 target increasingly challenging.

The BPF urged the government to publish a full response to the outstanding consultation urgently and work with the sector to ensure the regulations can be effectively implemented.

The trade body said it will work with government to help shape the MEES regulations, so as to bring as many properties as possible up to EPC B.

However, the sector needs clarity on the timeline for new minimum energy efficiency standards and certainty that the EPC B target will be the end target, to give buildings owners the confidence to make long-term investment decisions.

The BPF is also seeking clarity on the rules around exemptions and enforcement and the split of responsibilities between owners and occupiers.

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