DISPLAY ENERGY CERTIFICATES
Who will need a Display Energy Certificate (DEC)?
From 1st October 2008 buildings over 1,000 sq meters occupied by public
service operators will
need to display a DEC in a prominent position clearly visible to the public.
What is a DEC?
A DEC is a certificate which shows the energy performance of a building
based on the energy
performance assessment which needs to be carried out by a qualified assessor
together with
the actual energy consumption as recorded annually over periods up to the
last three years.
DECs need to be updated each year.
What buildings will be affected?
Buildings over 1,000 sq meters that are occupied or part occupied either by
a public authority
or institution that provides a public service frequently visited by the
public.
If a building is partly occupied by a public authority or institution, the
authority or institution is
responsible for displaying a DEC and having a valid advisory report if they
occupy an area
greater than 1,000sq meters. Any private organisations occupying the same
building will not
need to display a certificate.
Although multiple small buildings on a campus where each building is less
than 1,000 sq meters
are excluded from this law, buildings that are linked together by a heated
space or are served
by the same heating or cooling system will require a DEC.
When do I need to act?
Property Managers affected by this law will need to have the DEC displayed
by 1st October,
therefore, they need to act now and are advised to start collecting meter
readings now to
ensure they have sufficient data ready to hand over to a qualified Energy
Assessor. The Energy
Assessor will need to begin work several months before the deadline in order
to begin the
survey process of rating the energy performance and reviewing the previous
energy
consumption of the building.
What information will I need to collect?
You should start collecting energy consumption data immediately. Meter
readings or
consignment notes for all fuels used will be required, this may include gas,
oil and solid fuels,
district heating and cooling, grid electricity or self generated electricity
or that obtained by
private distribution systems from other sites.
For district heating and cooling and electricity generated on site or
obtained by private
distribution systems from other sites, you will also need to obtain the
average carbon factor for
the service over the accounting period e.g. in kg of carbon dioxide per Kwh
delivered.
You can gather this information from the building landlord, agent or
representative, the utilities
supplier, meter readings and the district heating/cooling provider.
For buildings that are on site or campus, energy metering information can be
collected at the
site level rather than building level. Multiple small buildings on a campus
where each building
is less than 1,000 sq meters are excluded from this law. However, if these
buildings are linked
together by a heated space or are served by the same heating or cooling
system then a DEC will
be required. The energy consumption for each separate building or each group
of linked
buildings with a total floor area exceeding 1,000 sq meters will then be
derived by
proportioning the basis of the floor area; this will be done by the Energy
Assessor.
If you are unsure of the date you need to collect please call or email us
and we will be happy to
advise you.
What action must I take?
You must have a DEC displayed by 1st October 2008 and you must be in
possession of a valid
Advisory Report, which includes recommendations for improving the energy
consumption for
each building covered by this law.
You must:
Have instructed an Accredited Energy Assessor to produce a DEC and
Advisory Report
for each of your affected properties.
Have sufficient fuel and energy consumption data available before the
deadline date, in
order to provide the Energy Assessor with the relevant information to
complete the DEC
By 1st October you must:
Display a valid DEC in a prominent place clearly visible to the public at
all times
Have possession of a valid Advisory Report
Are there any penalties if I dont display a DEC?
Civil law applies and Weights and Measures Authorities (usually Trading
Standards) have a duty
of enforcement.
Random investigations will be conducted and complaints from the public
followed up.
Authorities may request you to produce the relevant documents which you must
provide within
7 days, they may take copies of this information.
The penalty is £500 for failing to display a DEC at all times in a prominent
position and £1,000
for not having an Advisory Report in your possession. If you are fined it
will still be necessary to
commission the documents.
If you can demonstrate that you have taken all reasonable steps to avoid
breaching the
regulations, then the penalty charge notice may be withdrawn.
For further information please contact us on
Energy Assessment Ltd
24 Stanley Road,
Stourbridge,
West Midlands,
DY8 2DN
Tel: 0845 094 0891 Email: info@energyassessment.biz
Website: www.energyassessment.biz