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The EPBD helpline is indeed sending people with queries straight to their accrediting bodies where possible and the whole EPBD implementation has left some companies without assessors or with assessors who are now over-worked trying to meet commitments.

I work for a company called (name removed), offering complete energy-management services to a wide range of clients including government departments, FTSE-100 and blue chip organisations. Having delivered the majority of our clients’ certification obligations, we are now looking to join forces with property management / letting agencies to provide a reliable and cost-effective energy certification service.

If anyone has an outstanding requirement for EPCs / DECs or would like to obtain quotes for next year’s DEC renewal, please email me at: (email removed)

The commercial area is filled with uncertainity amongst many including some assessors (which is rather concerning) though mainly by a large proportion of those who require a commercial EPC.

By removing the phone line this can hardly help clarify ‘grey areas’ unless the email support is greatly improved. I am told that the EPBD helpline has been left open due to ‘popular demand’, though they reserve the right to close it as planned at any time.

After October 31st the EPBD Helpline will no longer be providing assistance via the telephone but will continue to be available by e-mail for a further 6 months. This seems very shortsighted as it is not until January that Air Conditioning Assessments start to come into play. As it took them 8 weeks to reply my last e-mail I’m not filled with reassurance.

I too have encountered this issue with the EPBD and frankly have had a bit of a very long argument with them on several subjects. They acknowledge that there are grey areas and that some sections need practical advise. But they refuse to issue clarification until some is forth coming from our old friends the DCLG.

I know in one instance they have written asking for specific clarification and the DCLG has refused to issue it.

Since the EPBD won’t give non clarified advice, they are suggesting speaking to specialist solicitors and then they are basically fobbing the problem off onto Accrediting bodies. I was directly advised to speak to Accrediting bodies since they are the ones who will cover us and protect us. So basically, do what the guidelines and EPBD tell you, but if you can’t get clarification, do what your accrediting body tells you is right.

Everyone at the moment is frightened that their advice or interpretation will open the way to the first lawsuit. So that is why everyone is issuing disclaimers. Personally, when I speak to clients I stress that the advice we are giving them is based on the ‘latest interpretations of the guidelines’.

If anyone out there is a specialist solicitor in Energy Performance Certificates or similar I, for one, would love to talk to you!

Symon

Reading your information given it is possible that they may need an EPC, or may not. The precise information from the guidelines for not needing a CEPC is:

“• stand alone buildings with a total useful floor area of less than 50m2 that are not dwellings
• industrial sites, workshops and non-residential agricultural buildings with low energy demand (see glossary of terms for a detailed description).”

The guidance then goes onto describe the criteria for Low Energy Demand as:

“Buildings which are industrial sites and workshops with low energy demand. These include buildings, or parts of buildings designed to be used separately, whose purpose is to accommodate industrial activities in spaces where the air is not conditioned. Activities that would be covered include foundries, forging and other hot processes, chemical process, food and drinks packaging, heavy engineering and storage and warehouses where, in each case, the air in the space is not fully heated or cooled. Whilst not fully heated or cooled these cases may have some local conditioning appliances such a plaque or air heaters or air conditioners to serve people at work stations or refuges dispersed amongst and not separated from the industrial activities.
Non-residential agricultural buildings with low energy demand include buildings, or parts of buildings designed to be used separately, that are heated for a few days each year to enable plants to germinate but are otherwise unheated.”

Basically it boils down to what the purpose is of the building, heating systems and the sq m2. It may be that the office requires a CEPC and the industrial area doesn’t.

I can’t really give you a clear answer from the information that you have given here, I can only give you the guidance that we rely on, that in some cases is still being practically clarified on a project by project basis.

I would suggest that if you would like a second opinion, give me a call at Godwin and Ellis, and I will try to confirm if you actually need one or not.

Symon