On 1 April 2018, the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) came into force, making it against the law in England and Wales to agree a new lease or lease renewal on a property with an F or G Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating. From April 2023, this will apply to all existing commercial leases.
The Government confirmed in the Energy White Paper (2020) that the future trajectory for the non-domestic MEES will be EPC ‘B’ minimum rating by 2030. The government’s intention is to have a stepped level of requirement for the next 8 years, gradually pushing EPC required ratings to D and then C by 2027, finally achieving the aim of B rating requirements by 2030. There our exemptions to these requirements including long leases and third party consents (planning, listed building consent etc.), however it is anticipated that this exemptions will have time constraints attached to them.
It is vitally important to prepare properties for the coming legislation, without achieving the required EPC rating commercial assets will be unlettable.
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