Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES Domestic)

the new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) for domestic buildings are now in effect throughout England & Wales.  Landlords are now unable to sign a new lease, renew a lease or extend a lease unless the building either achieves an EPC rating of at least E or a permitable exemption is registered.  From 1st April 2020 it will be unlawful to continue to let a domestic property which has legally required an EPC without an EPC rating of at least an E unless a permitable exemption is registered.

Here at Rowleys Commercial Energy Assessments Limited we can help you comply with these regulations. Taking action now will help to protect both the value of your asset and your future rental income.  We have a five step plan for all landlords to help minimise your costs:

  1. Baseline EPC - Have all your flats, apartments and houses surveyed by a reputable assessor with specialist additional insurance and have EPCs (at least in draft) produced that represent them all in their current state.  This will help to identify properties that might be at risk now or in the future giving you a baseline for your portfolio no matter what its size.
  2. Lodge Good EPCs - Decide the minimum standard you want to achieve for your portfolio.  You can then get the EPCs that achieve this rating lodged on the National Register.  Under the current rules, they will then be valid for the next ten years.
  3. Obtain Refurbishment Reports - For the remaining properties, obtain expert advice and modelling to find the most cost-effective ways of getting these up to standard.  There are often cheaper and less disruptive ways of improving the building and increasing its EPC rating than making the minimum improvements suggested on the EPC.  We provide this service in the form of a EPC Refurbishment Report which explains your current position and provides possible improvements you could make to meet the MEES.
  4. Improve Less Efficient Properties - You can now plan the improvement of less efficient properties in your portfolio.  You can potentially achieve this at the tenant’s expense through Green Deal Finance. Once the improvements have been made, get a new EPC completed and lodged.
  5. Protect Your Asset - Having got your property up to standard don't let your tenants downgrade your rating.  Seek legal advice and add tenancy terms that protect the EPC rating of your property.  Make tenants seek permission for changes and prohibit them from commissioning their own EPC for lodgement on the National Register without your permission as you don't want your good EPC overwritten with a poorer one. Compliance is an ongoing process and we can help advise you as to the sorts of changes that will affect the EPC rating.  We can also evaluate proposed changes to a property to see what the effect on the EPC will be.

When you come to us we will only charge you for the work we have to actually complete to help you achieve compliance.  Initially we can check your portfolio to see which properties need to be surveyed and which already appear to have appropriate EPCs.  We can also undertake sample checking to confirm the accuracy of the EPCs if you wish.  At each stage we only take forward the properties you instruct us to, you don't have to commit to the entire process for your whole portfolio in one go helping you spread the cost and target your most valuable or at risk properties.

If you are interested in finding out more about how we can help your portfolio meet the new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) please contact us to discuss your specific requirements.  We also provide services for non-domestic properties and so can also handle mixed property portfolios.

Nice to know we got such a lovely high score! Thank you for helping us attain this sort of level on a rural country cottage.

Roderick Duggleby, Land Agent

Roderick Duggleby, Land Agent

Merevale and Blyth Estates website