Display Energy Certificates and the accompanying Advisory Reports are a legal requirement in England, Wales and throughout Ireland. From September 2016, in Scotland, DEC’s can be used to defer having to implement the new Section 63 Action Plans.
Public service organizations (except Scotland) must have a DEC for their building if all of the following are true:
– It’s at least partially occupied by a public service organization (e.g. council, leisure Centre, university, NHS, prison, etc.)
– This occupied area has a total useful floor area of over 250 square metres
– It’s frequently visited by the public (this can mean small numbers of the public are visiting the building weekly)
Public service can include private organizations that are providing services that can be, or have been provided, planned or funded by local or central government.
Why the importance? Because energy efficiency matters. Only by measuring the actual energy consumption of a building can we acknowledging how energy efficient or inefficient our public buildings really are. Steps can then be taken to improve things.
For all the latest information on Display Energy Certificates call now on 0844 499 7574
Display Energy Certificates - All You Need To Know
What do DEC Energy Certificates Show?
DEC Energy Certificates calculate an Operational Rating (OR) for a building on a coloured graph scale. This is based on the actual energy bills of the building compared with a typical benchmark building of the same type. Each DEC has an accompanying advisory report highlighting the ways in which energy performance can be improved.
Each certificate shows the current and previous two years energy rating and carbon emissions for comparison purposes.
An advisory report (AR) based on a site survey accompanies the first DEC, and then is renewed every seven years thereafter (every ten years for buildings of 1000 m2 or less).
The AR lists cost effective measures to improve the rating of the building.
Green Zone Surveys has been providing DEC’s throughout the UK and Ireland since their introduction.
How Often do I Need a DEC and Advisory Report?
It depends on the size of your building.
250m² – 1000m² – DEC and Advisory Report renewed every 10 years
+1,000m² – DEC renewed every year, and the Advisory Report renewed every 7 years
In Scotland, the DEC will have to be renewed annually
Display Energy Certificates must be produced by an accredited Energy Assessor and be displayed at A3 size, in colour and in a prominent place near the main entrance to the building.
Organisations may be liable to fixed penalty notice fines for failing to display a valid DEC or a valid Advisory Report.
In Scotland, failure to renew a Display energy Certificate will automatically require you to implement your Action Plan.
We can help ensure that you comply with the legislation and our in-house Project Management System prompts us to remind you when your certificate and report is due for renewal.
How do I get a DEC Energy Certificate?
Call now on 0844 499 7574 and ask for a quote.
Or email Ian Keenleyside at ian.k@greenzonesurveys.com
We visit and survey every building we prepare a DEC for.
Whether it’s one building, or a regional or national portfolio, Ian’s team will systematically visit and survey each building in order to produce informative Advisory Reports and accurate certificates.
We can co-ordinate our visits with your building / facilities managers to ensure maximum access at minimum inconvenience, for example, visiting schools during school holidays.
We’ve already helped hundreds of buildings comply with government legislation and at the same time helping them reduce energy usage and costs.
We can do the same for you.
Real and realistic energy (and cost) reduction opportunities. Ongoing compliance, cost cutting and energy reduction as one.
