been useful to call trading standards, but did not do so
because: ‘To tell tales when trying to extract an order
from a client is not great!’
He would, however, like to see trading standards
have a bigger role in enforcing the certificates. ‘Or
an alternative body. One of the main weaknesses of
the EPBD is enforcement – there is none. There is no
recorded case of a penalty issued for the lack of a DEC,
EPC or air conditioning inspection (AC). Hence the
plan does not work.’
TSOs should be helped to come up to speed with
ACs, DECs and EPCs, he says. ‘What is the incentive
for an already under-resourced trading standards
department to enforce the rules? If the Department for
Enforcement might be better > see, the law permits a fallback position which means Communities and Local Government is serious about
in the hands of another body
that, so long as the tenant or purchaser receives a copy driving the enforcement of DECs, EPCs and ACs, then
entirely, according to Richard
before contracts are signed, the agent is considered to a specialist organisation should be engaged to deliver
Hipkiss.
be in compliance with the rules. enforcement.
‘This is very late in the day indeed,’ Smeraldi points ‘Trading standards are not property, building
out, ‘and not really supportive of the spirit of the services or energy specialists, so are they best placed
original directive that brought in the requirements to enforce? Could accreditation schemes pick up some
for EPCs, the European Performance of Buildings of the enforcement, other than maybe assessors who
Directive (EPBD). know the requirements better?’
‘Furthermore, despite the requests of the profession, One TSO, who wishes to remain anonymous, says
poor provision has been made for TSOs to be able to that he has had a lot of involvement with estate agents
require information enabling the identification of these as part of a regional project, and found reasonable
landlords and owners, which causes difficulties. compliance. He’d had calls from people complaining
‘The Institute highlighted these difficulties and that their HIP was inaccurate, and had also been
others during the initial, and very brief, consultation involved in some inter-estate agent arguments, with
that preceded the EPC regulations. Since then, we have some marketing of homes before their EPC was
continued, with LACORS, to feed back on the practical undertaken, but these have been dealt with by advice.
difficulties of enforcement. ‘But if they were repeatedly doing this we’d consider
‘As the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive further action,’ he warns. ‘We would take stringent
is due to be revised, the institute and associated bodies action if advice was disregarded. Most estate agents
continue to push for an improved system that will just want fair competition.’
make compliance simple; bring timely information to He suggests that TSOs have bigger priorities to deal
prospective tenants and purchasers; minimise burdens with, such as rogue traders or underage drinking,
on businesses and local authorities; and enable effective leaving EPCs to fall to the bottom of the list.
enforcement against those flouting the law.’ ‘We have to direct our resources where they are most
Consultancy i-prophets assists clients to improve the needed,’ he adds, ‘which is at the biggest problems,
sustainability of their premises through compliance and in this case that was not a priority.’
solutions. Richard Hipkiss, marketing director, admits Stuart Bowman, energy and sustainability consultant
that he has been in situations where it would have at engineering consultancy hurleypalmerflatt, believes
Displaying energy performance
EPCs: DECs:
An EPC is an Energy Performance Certificate, which all A DEC, or Display Energy Certificate, shows the actual
non-public sector properties must have when they are energy consumption, or energy performance, of a
sold, built or rented. They took effect fully last October. building in terms of the carbon dioxide produced. It
The EPC records how energy efficient a building is by uses a rating score between A and G to show how well
rating it from ‘A’ (most efficient) to ‘G’ (least efficient). a building is performing based on gas and electricity
It also includes a report giving recommendations for meter readings. A supplementary report is also
improvement. Each improvement includes the indicative supplied with the certificate suggesting ways in which
payback period and carbon impact. The rating is based the energy performance of building could be improved.
on the performance of the building and its services, for Currently DECs are only required in public buildings
example heating, rather than the appliances within it. above 1,000 sq m, and need to be publicly displayed.
This is known as an asset rating. The certificate is valid for one year, while the
Source: www.businesslink.gov.uk
accompanying report is valid for seven.
36 CIBSE Journal November 2009 www.cibsejournal.com
CIBSEnov09 pp34-37 EPC.indd 36 23/10/09 13:13:49
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