29.08.08

Businesses are being invited to attend a Commercial Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Awareness Day on Monday 1st September at the Riviera International Conference Centre.

This event comes in preparation for the new European legislation – the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive - being enforced this year.

Buildings are responsible for almost fifty percent of the UK’s energy consumption and carbon emissions, so reforms are being rolled out to ensure that all properties – homes, commercial and public buildings – when bought, sold, built or rented have an Energy Performance Certificate.

The free event on Monday will be offering advice targeted at anyone who is looking to sell or rent commercial premises over 50m_, or manages a government funded building that is open to the public. In Torbay there are approximately 1,000 public buildings that from October 2008 must clearly display a certificate informing the community of its energy efficiency.

It is important that businesses comply with this legislation not just to avoid being fined, but also to take responsibility over their energy consumption and emissions to lower its carbon footprint.

The informative day, being run by Energy Reports Devon, is split into a morning and afternoon session starting at 10am or 2pm respectively. There will be time afterwards to put forward any questions about the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. Steve Butchers, from Energy Reports Devon, commented: “We hope this one-off event will provide an opportunity to learn more about commercial EPCs and Display Energy Certificates.

Since 2007 we have been compiling HIP packs for residential properties, that need to contain an Energy Performance Certificate. We are now getting ready to deal with the influx of public buildings that must also be assessed and certified from October 2008”.

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