On 13th March, the government announced changes
to the planned introduction of Energy Performance
Certificates, which was due to begin on 6th April
2008.
As
with HIPs, it has become clear that there are
insufficient qualified assessors available to
meet this date and a transitional arrangement
has been put in place.
But
before property owners and occupiers push the
thought of certification to the back of their
minds, they should remember that the changes only
defer responsibility, and forward planning is
still vital to ensure compliance with the legislation.
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The original phasing of the measures was set to
be:
6
April 2008
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EPCs
required for the construction, sale or rent
of buildings, other than dwellings, with a floor
area over 10,000 m² |
1
July 2008 |
EPCs
required for the construction, sale or rent
of buildings, other than dwellings, with a floor
area over 2,500 m² |
1
October 2008 |
EPCs
required on the construction, sale or rent of
all remaining buildings, other than dwellings.Display
certificates required for all public buildings
>1,000 m² |
Under
the new arrangement, any building which is on the
market before 6th April and remains on the market
after that date will need an EPC by 1 October at
the latest.
However,
if it is sold or let in the interim, an EPC must
be commissioned and then handed over to the occupier
as soon as reasonably practicable.
This
means that the obligation to provide an EPC will
still apply from 6th April 2008 for units over 10,000
sq m and from 1st July for units over 2,500 sq m,
albeit that the certificate need not be sourced
until 1st October 2008 or as soon as reasonably
practicable following a sale or letting.
So
despite the publicised delays, Energy Performance
Certificates cannot be ignored. To find out more
about how the legislation and changes will affect
your business, please contact andrew.gent@gentvisick.com
or call Gent Visick on 0113 2456000.
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