If you haven’t done it before, now is the time to check your care home property’s Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) to find out how energy efficient your building is, advises Tom Lumsden, partner at CooperBurnett LLP
The energy used for heating and powering non-domestic buildings makes up about 12 per cent of the UK’s emissions. According to the Government, about 60 per cent of today’s non-domestic buildings will still exist in 2050, representing around 40-45 per cent of total floor space.
While standards to tackle the performance of new buildings have been in place for some time, minimum standards to drive improvements in the performance of existing stock through energy efficiency upgrades are essential in order to tackle energy use and reduce emissions in the future.
The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES), which was introduced by the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015, is likely to affect a number of older style care homes, such as Victorian conversions, especially where steps have not been taken to reduce energy wastage.
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