Non-domestic EPC
Commercial EPCs for shops, offices and industrial units
Selling or leasing business premises? A commercial EPC is a legal requirement, and a building let to a tenant must be band E or better. We assess non-domestic buildings across Coventry and the Midlands and give you a certificate and recommendation report you can act on.
- Needed when
- Selling, leasing or completing a building
- Scale
- A+ to G, based on carbon emissions
- Valid for
- 10 years
- Minimum to let
- Band E
- No certificate
- Fine of £500 to £5,000
Reviewed October 2026
What a commercial EPC measures
A commercial, or non-domestic, EPC rates a building on a scale from A+ to G. Where a home is rated on its running costs, a commercial building is rated on its estimated carbon emissions from heating, cooling, hot water, lighting and ventilation. A+ means the building is net zero.
The certificate comes with a separate recommendation report. Improvements are grouped by how quickly they pay for themselves, and each is marked low, medium or high for its effect on emissions.
When you need one
GOV.UK sets out three triggers. You must have an EPC if:
- you rent out or sell the premises
- a building under construction is finished
- the parts of the building used for separate occupation change, and the work involves providing or extending fixed heating, air conditioning or mechanical ventilation
A new certificate is not needed for every sale or letting. One certificate lasts 10 years.
Displaying the certificate
You must display the EPC on the building if its total useful floor area is over 500 square metres, it is frequently visited by the public, and a certificate has already been produced for its sale, rental or construction.
How buildings are graded for assessment
Non-domestic buildings are sorted into three levels by the complexity of their heating, cooling and ventilation. The level decides which assessor and which method can be used.
| Level | Typical buildings | Method |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Small shops, cafes and offices with simple heating and natural ventilation | SBEM |
| 4 | Larger offices, retail units and warehouses, or anything with mechanical ventilation or air conditioning | SBEM |
| 5 | Complex buildings with atria, automatic shading or highly glazed facades, such as large shopping centres | Dynamic simulation |
Most high street shops, offices, workshops and industrial units fall into level 3 or level 4, which is the work we do most. Tell us about the building and we will confirm its level before we quote. If it turns out to need level 5 modelling, we will say so plainly.
What we need from you
- Access to every part of the building, including plant rooms, roof plant and storage
- Floor plans, if you have them. If not, we measure on site
- Details of the heating, cooling and ventilation systems, and any manuals or commissioning records
- The extent of what is being sold or let, where the building is divided into units
- Anything showing insulation or glazing upgrades since the building was put up
The survey is non-invasive, and we work around trading hours where we can.
Minimum standards for commercial landlords
It is unlawful to let a non-domestic property rated F or G unless a valid exemption has been registered. The rule has covered new leases since 1 April 2018 and all existing leases since 1 April 2023.
| Breach | Penalty | Minimum | Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Let for less than 3 months | 10% of rateable value | £5,000 | £50,000 |
| Let for 3 months or more | 20% of rateable value | £10,000 | £150,000 |
| False or misleading information | Fixed | Up to £5,000 | |
Trading Standards enforce these rules. In Coventry that is the council's Business Compliance Team. Breaches can also be published.
What may change
On 18 June 2026 the government published an interim response on raising the standard. It proposes band B from 2031 for privately rented non-domestic buildings over 1,000 square metres, where improvements are cost-effective, with smaller buildings staying at band E for now. The earlier idea of a band C milestone in 2027 has been dropped.
This is not the final position and nothing changes until new regulations are made. If you are signing a long lease, it is still worth knowing how far the building is from a B.
Buildings that do not need one
According to GOV.UK, an EPC is not needed if you can show the building is:
- listed or officially protected, where the minimum energy performance requirements would unacceptably alter it
- a temporary building that will be used for 2 years or less
- used as a place of worship or for other religious activities
- an industrial site, workshop or non-residential agricultural building that does not use much energy
- a detached building with a total floor space under 50 square metres
- due to be demolished by the seller or landlord, with all the relevant planning and conservation consents
Sources: GOV.UK, Energy Performance Certificates for your business premises; Elmhurst Energy guidance on non-domestic EPC levels; Coventry City Council Trading Standards; government interim response on non-domestic minimum standards, 18 June 2026. This page is general guidance, not legal advice.
Commercial EPC questions
What owners, landlords and agents ask us most.
How is a commercial EPC different from a domestic one?
A domestic EPC rates running costs. A commercial EPC rates estimated carbon emissions, on a scale from A+ to G, and comes with a separate recommendation report. It has to be produced by an accredited Non-Domestic Energy Assessor.
How long does a commercial assessment take?
It depends on the size of the building and how complicated its heating, cooling and ventilation are. A small shop is a short visit; a large unit with several plant systems takes considerably longer. We give you an estimate with your quote.
I have a shop with a flat above. What do I need?
Two certificates: a commercial EPC for the shop and a domestic EPC for the self-contained flat. We can survey both in the same visit.
Do I have to display the certificate?
Only if all three of these apply: the building's total useful floor area is over 500 square metres, it is frequently visited by the public, and an EPC has already been produced for its sale, rental or construction.
What happens if I let a unit rated F or G?
Unless you have registered a valid exemption, it breaches the minimum standard. Penalties are based on rateable value: 10% of it, between £5,000 and £50,000, for a breach of under three months, and 20%, between £10,000 and £150,000, for longer. Trading Standards enforce the rules.
Will the minimum for commercial lettings rise?
Probably, for larger buildings. In June 2026 the government published an interim response proposing band B from 2031 for privately rented non-domestic buildings over 1,000 square metres, where the improvements are cost-effective. Smaller buildings would stay at band E for now. None of this is law yet.