Display Energy Certificate (DEC)

Display Energy Certificates (DECs) show the actual energy usage of a building, the Operational Rating, and help the public see the energy efficiency of a building. It identifies the actual energy use of a building and compares this against the energy use for a benchmark building of the same type.

Qualified Surveyors

DECs must be carried out by a qualified energy assessor.

A Display Energy Certificate (DEC) Surveyor is an accredited individual who undertakes energy calculations, using approved Operational Rating (OR) software, on public buildings.

DECs are also an approved means of assessing buildings for the Government's mandatory Energy Savings Opportunities Scheme (ESOS).

Audited Reports

All Energy Surveyors belong to Government Approved accreditation bodies who audit their work regularly.

The audit procedure follows Industry standards, to ensure the highest level of competance is achieved and that correct conventions are followed when doing site visits and collecting data.

When is a Display Energy Certificate (DEC) Required?

Floor Area

A Display Energy Certificate (DEC) is required when a building has a floor area greater than 250m², is occupied in whole or part by public authorities and is frequently visited by the public.

This can include schools, historic buildings, museums, NHS trusts, GP surgeries, universities, emergency services and local authorities. The Display Energy Certificate (DEC) should be clearly displayed at all times in a prominent place clearly visible to the public. Failure to do this can result in a fine of £1,500.

Additionally, public bodies may wish to provide their DEC via a website or other publicly accessible media. The requirement of a DEC for public buildings aims to encourage more environmentally-considerate decisions in relation to energy use, overall efficiency and carbon emissions.

DECs are always accompanied by a Recommendation Report; this report highlights recommendations to improve the energy performance of the building.

What is the difference between an EPC and a DEC?

A public building with a high Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating is not guaranteed to be energy efficient. An EPC only provides indication of the potential for energy efficiency and carbon emissions.

If the operation of the building is unnecessarily wasteful, then the energy efficiency performance of the building is unlikely to reach its potential. A Display Energy Certificate (DEC) assesses the actual energy efficiency of those who manage and use the building.

What happens during a survey visit?

To produce a DEC, a Public Building Energy Assessor will have to survey your building. The first step of the assessment involves the recording and analysis of your energy bills of the previous year.

Starting with a general external appraisal of the building, the assessor will then walk through the building with the relevant staff member to discuss any outstanding issues affecting energy use.

The building area is measured and the walk-through audit identifies specific observations in terms of boiler type, space heating, water heating, heating controls, lighting, ventilation and window type. All information gathered during the audit is then compiled to generate the DEC.

Why are DECs Required?

For Public Buildings

The purpose of introducing DECs is to raise public awareness of energy use and to inform visitors to public buildings about the energy use of a building. DECs provide an energy rating of the building from A to G, where A is very efficient and G is the least efficient and are based on the actual amount of metered energy used by the building over the last 12 months within the validity period of the DEC.

An affected organisation must display a DEC in a prominent place clearly visible to the public and have in its possession or control a valid recommendation report. The recommendation report contains recommendations for improving the energy performance of the building.

Display Energy Certificates

What is a Display Energy Certificate?

A Display Energy Certificate (DEC) shows the energy performance of a building based on actual energy consumption as recorded over the last 12 months within the validity period of the DEC (the operational rating). The operational rating is a numerical indicator of the actualannualcarbondioxide emissions from the building.

The various types of energy consumption from occupying a buildingmust be brought together on a common basis so that the performance of one building can be compared with that of another.

The UK has decided that the common unit should be CO2 emissions, since this is a key driver for energy policy.This rating is shown on a scale from A to G, where A is the lowest CO2 emissions(best) and G is the highest CO2 emissions(worst).DECs for buildings larger than 1,000m² also show the operational ratings forthe previous two years, where available.

Recommendation Reports

What does a recommendation report contain?

The recommendation report accompanies the DEC and contains recommendations for improving the energy performance of the building. The recommendation report may contain a range of possible improvements, including cost effective measures that may be implemented to improve the energy performance of the property.

The report includes zero and low cost operational and management improvements, possible upgrades to the building fabric or services, and opportunities for the installation of low and zero carbon (LZC) technologies.

The report enables the occupier to identify what may be done to improve, for example, building energy management, building services, etc. therefore reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions.

The recommendation report categorises the list of recommendations, by payback period as follows:

• short term payback (up to three years), for example building energy management measures

• medium term payback (three to seven years), for example upgrading building services

How often does a DEC need renewing?

Buildings Over 1000 m2

The DEC is valid for one year and must be renewed annually.
The Recommendation Report is valid for seven years.

Buildings Under 1000 m2

The DEC and Recommendation Report are both valid for a ten-year period.

However, significant changes to the occupation of the building or its floor area may require a new DEC or Recommendation Report. As the DEC relates to the occupier not the building, a change in occupier will require a new DEC.

Scotland

In Scotland DECs are required annually for building deferring their Section 63 Action Plans and so all DECs are valid for one year.

Legislation

Energy Performance of Buildings Directive 2008

Under this legislation it is the responsibility of every occupier of a building affected by these regulations to:

• Display a valid DEC in a prominent place clearly visible to the public at all times

• Have in their possession or control a valid advisory report which conveys
recommendations to improve the building’s energy performance.

This must be done for each of the buildings affected

Penalties for not having a DEC

Commercial Buildings

A local authority can issue a penalty charge notice of £500 for failing to display a DEC at all times in a prominent place clearly visible to the public and £1,000 for failing to possess or have in their control a valid advisory report. In addition to these penalties, it will still be necessary to commission the documents, otherwise further offences will be committed.

If you can demonstrate that you have taken all reasonable steps to avoid breaching the regulations, then the penalty charge notice must be withdrawn.
If you believe the penalty charge notice should not have been given you can request a review. If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the review you may appeal to the county court within 28 days after you received notice confirming the penalty charge notice.

Who is responsible for arranging the DEC?

It is for the occupier of the building, rather than the owner to arrange the DEC (the use of the building will usually be dictated by the occupier, so it would make sense for them to arrange same if the above criteria is applicable to them).

However, the position might be different if an NHS landlord such a NHS Property Services or Community Health Partnership owns the building, rather than a private landlord, in which case they will probably be responsible for obtaining and paying for the DEC.

What information will the DEC Assessor Require from you?

Your assessor will require the following information about your building to complete the assessment:

1. The name and address of the building including the postcode;
2. Some details about how your building is used and maintained;
3. The Total Useable Floor Area (TUFA) or Gross Internal Area (GIA) of the building;
4. Metered energy consumption (gas & electricity) for a 12 month period*;
5. Measurement of any other energy consumption e.g. oil & solid fuel;
6. The published opening hours of the building;
7. Details relating to on-site renewables and low or zero carbon technologies;
8. Details of any surplus energy exported to the grid.
9. During the assessment process the assessor will also visit the building. During this visit the assessor will need to visit plant rooms, meters, air conditioning systems and occupied areas to gather evidence for their report. They will also take photographs of your building and the systems installed within it. These photos are only to show features of the building fabric, its layout and how energy is being used so the assessor will avoid including people or sensitive information wherever possible.

All information obtained will be securely stored and only used for the purpose of producing your Display Energy Certificate and Advisory Report. If you have any concerns please discuss these with the assessor who can also let you review photographs taken if required so that you can be reassured these are appropriate. It may also help to arrange for the assessor to visit the building outside normal opening hours when less people will be about.

* This information may come from your own meter readings or energy bills. The information supplied does not have to cover exactly 365 days but information for all fuels needs to cover more or less the same period. Further details can be obtained from the assessor if required.

Prior to conducting a site visit the assessor will request certain information about the building. You can help reduce the time taken, hence reducing the cost of the assessment, by ensuring the information you provide is accurate and that all the requested information is provided promptly.

In particular, providing the assessor with an acceptable method of confirming the floor area and layout of the building will save the assessor having to measure the building. Accurate scaled floor plans produced by an architect or surveyor annotated with the Gross Internal Area (GIA) are ideal.

How we can help

Our accredited Surveyors can provide you with an efficient and cost-effective service to produce DECs for all your applicable buildings. Our service includes the following:

- Assess your estate and confirm which buildings fall under the directive.
- Work with you to collate all required information and data needed for assessment
- Provision of an A3 laminated copy of the DEC for display and an electronic copy of the DEC Recommendation Report.
- Submission of all documents to the governments central register.

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Wed 8.00am-6.00pm
Thur 8.00am-6.00pm
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Sun Closed

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Energy Assessment Manager