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Do I Need a Display Energy Certificate for my Building?

Only public buildings will be affected by this legislation initially, however the Government has produced a flowchart to assist property asset managers in deciding if their buildings will be affected by the introduction of DEC's. All other buildings will require an EPC. Although it is worth noting that the Government is considering extending the scope of the Display Energy Certificate to incorporate ALL Commercial Buildings, in the future, so it maybe worthwhile to consider the points listed below.

An extract from the CLG Communities Flowchart :is reproduced below.

Is your building affected?

1. Are you a public authority? If no, go to step 2. If yes, go to step 3. If you need clarification about what public authorities include, go to step 8.

2. Are you an institution providing a public service? If yes, go to step 6, if no go to step 7. If you need clarification about what a public service is, go to step 9.

3. Consider for each of your buildings: Do you occupy or control total floor area exceeding 1000m2? If yes, go to step 4, if no go to step 5.

 4. You are affected. You must: a. Place a DEC on display in a prominent place clearly visible to members of the public in each building. b. Be in possession of an Advisory Report on ways of improving performance. c. Have the DEC and Advisory Report produced by an accredited Energy Assessor.

5. You are unaffected in that building.

6. Consider for each of your buildings: Is this building frequently visited by large numbers of members of the public? If yes, go to step 3, if no go to step 5. If you need clarification about what buildings are affected go to step 10.

7. You are unaffected

8. Public Authorities include (irrespective of whether the public has restricted access):

 a. Central and local Government

b. NHS trusts

c. Schools and Higher Education Authorities (including universities)

d. Police

e. Courts

f. Prisons

g. MOD

h. Army

i. Executive Agencies

j. Statutory regulatory bodies

Go back to step 1.

9. A public service is a service provided by the Government (Central or Local) to its citizens either directly or by financing the provision of the service by private agents. Go back to step 2.

10. Examples of affected buildings include:

a. Schools (but not private schools)

b. Leisure Centres (but not private clubs)

c. Hospitals (but not private hospitals)

d. Public golf club houses

e. Libraries

f. Museums and Art Galleries sponsored by public authorities

Go back to step 6.

If you are affected by the legislation you need to act now:

Property management, or lease holder of buildings note: If you consider that the premises you own or lease is required to display a DEC by 6 April 2008, you should start collecting energy consumption data now. To do this you must obtain actual meter readings or consignment notes for all the fuels used in your buildings that may be affected by the new legislation. This may include gas fuels, oil fuels, solid fuels, district heating and cooling, grid electricity and electricity generated on site or obtained by private distribution systems from other sites. It is your responsibility to record the energy usage of your property.

If for example your building is heated by district heating and cooling and electricity generated on site, or obtained by private distribution systems from other sites, you will also need to obtain the average carbon factor for the service over the accounting period e.g. in kg of carbon dioxide per kWh delivered.

Carbon index figures can be produced by SAP Assessors . Estimates can only calculated by accredited authorised energy assessors.

Do I need a DEC?


The following steps will help define the need for building managers to decide if an energy certificate is required

1. Timeline Date: Is it before 8 April 2008? If the answer is Yes, see 13, if the answer is No see 2

2. Have you been in occupation of the building for a period of at least 15 months? If the answer is Yes, see 3, if the answer is No See 6.

3. Are you in possession of an Energy Performance Certificate after the sale, rent or construction of the building? If Yes, see 4, if No See 5

4. A DEC Display Energy Certificate and Advisory Report will be required. Your DEC will have Operational and Asset Ratings.

5. A DEC Display Energy Certificate and Advisory Report are required. Your DEC will have the Operational Rating only. 

6. Timeline Date: Is it before 4 January 2009? If the answer is Yes, refer to 7, if the answer is No refer to 10.

7. Are you in possession of an Energy Performance Certificate after the sale, rent or construction of the building? If the answer is Yes, refer to 8, if the answer is No refer to 9.

8. A DEC and Advisory Report will be required. Your DEC will have an Asset Rating but will not have an Operational Rating.

9. Your premises does not require to display a DEC. When you have occupied the premises for 15 months or, on the 4 January (whichever time is soonest), you will need a DEC and Advisory Report.

10. Are you in possession of an Energy Performance Certificate as a result of the sale, rent or construction of the building? If the answer is Yes, refer to 11, If the answer is No refer to 12.

11. A DEC and Advisory Report are required. Your DEC will have Operational and Asset Ratings. The Operational Rating will be based on the energy data that is made available for the occupied period of the building.

12. A DEC and Advisory Report are required. The Operational Rating will be based on the energy data that is made available for the occupied period of the building.. You do not need to have an Asset Rating on your DEC. 

13. You are not required to display a DEC or be in possession of an Advisory Report. However, you must commence collecting energy information immediately. This information will be used for energy ratings for the building you occupy in future. This information can be obtained from the buildings on-site energy meters, or the building landlord or its representative, or your utility supplier.

If your building is served by district heating/cooling then you should contact the provider.

If you are still not sure whether you must provide and display a DEC, contact or e-mail help@epbduk.info for further information. Property managers refer to Business Energy Saving Measures to reduce overheads and improve your buildings energy rating.

A Display Energy Certificate can only be issued by an accredited commercial energy assessor. If your property requires a DEC you must instruct an approved assessor to survey the building to determine the energy rating. In addition, if the building you occupy has an air conditioning system this is required to be inspected by a competent energy assessor.

If the building you own or manage has air conditioning equipment installed, this will also require inspection

The Certificate

DEC Display Energy Certificate for Public Buildings

Display Energy Certificates or DEC for public buildings, inspection by the Energy Assessor, using SAP/SBEM Energy Assessment procedd surveys including  of Systems and Heating Boilers and control methods will commence from 6 April 2008.For Public Institutions and Authority's DECs must be renewed prominent place clearly visible to the public. Existing and New Build public properties will be affected by the new legislation. Display Energy Certificate

The certificate must be displayed in a public place. It will also provide an Asset Rating & an Operational Rating.
Advisory Reports
These will contain recommendations for improving the energy performance of the building and its energy usage. A DEC is valid for 12 months and needs to be updated annually. The Advisory Report which includes recommendations for improvements is valid for 7 years.

About the Display Energy Certificate

The display energy certificate differs from the domestic/commercial counterpart in that the certificate incorporates an Asset Rating & Operational Rating, DEC's are only issued for Public Buildings at this time - see below. Refer also to the implementation guide under EPC Schedule. The Advisory Report may specify recommendations to improve the energy efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions, the asset owner must retain possession of the report. Currently, it is not mandatory to comply with the recommendations made in the advisory report.

Asset Rating - means a numerical indicator of the amount of energy estimated to meet the different needs associated with a standardised use of a building, calculated according to the methodology approved by the Secretary of State.
Operational Rating - means a numeric indicator of the amount of energy consumed during the occupation of the building over a period of 12 months unless:
Where on 4th January 2009: the occupier of a building has been in occupation for less than 15 months or, entered into occupation of the building before 6th April 2008; or entered into occupation on or after that date but did not have an energy performance certificate made available or given to it. In these cases the operational rating specified may be calculated over the period in which the occupier has been in occupation.

Failure to Display



DEC's - The penalty is £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 have possession of a valid advisory report. A maximum fine of £5,000 may be imposed dependent on the nature of the breach of regulations.

EPC - Ees rate the energy performance of a building

DEC - Display Energy Certificates (DECs) show the actual energy usage of a building, and it's Operational Rating, and provide information to the public for the energy efficiency of a building.

Many buildings will be affected by the introduction of Commercial Energy Certificates and the issue of the display energy certificate, these include: