More Care Needed when Appointing Commercial Energy Assessor Warns RLF

22nd July 2008

When appointing a commercial energy assessor to provide Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), it is essential to ensure a site survey will be carried out, otherwise there is a risk the EPC will be incorrect. This is according to property and construction consultancy Robinson Low Francis (RLF).

RLF’s commercial energy assessor, Robert Corbyn, has found that some energy assessors are providing EPCs without carrying out a site survey. The resultant EPC may not be an accurate, true reflectionof the building’s energy performance because it will likely have been calculated using default figures, which are based on worse-case values. This could have a significant impact on the industry – a bad EPC may make the building harder to sell or let, which in today’s economic climate is a situation few can afford.

Robert Corbyn said: “EPCs are based on the thermal performance characteristics of the building’s fabric elements, as well as the surrounding environmental conditions and operating/occupation patterns in each part of the building.

“However, most properties are modified once a new tenant moves in. These changes may be as simple as the installation of building services systems such as air conditioning units, or be more complex, such as the insertion of walls to divide the floor space into separate offices. Either way, all alterations will affect the energy profile of the building and will not be shown on anything but the most up-to-date floor plans.

"Even if these plans are up-to-date, it is still necessary for a site survey to be carried out; for example, a building's energy consumption will vary depending on the activities that take place in each room and these activities are often only decided accurately after a site survey. Equally, other factors such as heat-loss will vary depending on whether a building is attached to another building or freestanding. Adjoining buildings also provide differing levels of shelter depending on their use, which will not always be obvious from the plans.

“The assessor has a duty of care to both client and the incoming tenant or new owner. Not carrying out a site survey – whether for cost or other reasons – is neglecting this duty.”

The need for a site survey is also stressed by The Department of Communities and Local Government. At the recent Sustainable Non-Dwellings : Regulations & Ratings conference, Simon Barnes, head of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), stated that “energy assessors must visit the property”, yet some assessors are ignoring these guidelines and cutting corners.

To avoid this problem, RLF recommends that landlords and developers consult with reliable organisations such as CIBSE and RICS. They should also check that a site survey is included in any fee proposals obtained from commercial energy assessors.

Ends

Media Contact:
Kate Jones
Mandate
Tel: +44 (0) 20 3128 8130
Email:      kate.jones@yourmandate.com

Notes to Editors:

About RLF
Robinson Low Francis (RLF) is a UK firm of construction and property consultants, with over 100 years of experience in the industry.  The company provides services to public and private sector clients and is currently involved in projects with a total value well in excess of £1billion.

RLF has 170 staff spread across seven offices around the UK - Birmingham, Brighton, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, Manchester and Stevenage and was recently voted one of the UK’s top professional services firms in the “MPF100 Best Professional Firms to Work For” survey.

Key areas of work are quantity surveying, project management, engineering services, building surveying, management consulting, health and safety services and more recently specialist sustainability advice to meet the major environmental changes in the industry.

RLF works across the commercial, education, government & defence, healthcare, industrial, office, residential, retail and sport & leisure sectors, to provide clients with innovative solutions to their construction and property needs. Clients include Royal Mail, John Lewis, Grosvenor, Pfizer and Barclays. For more information visit www.rlf.co.uk