A guide for estates and facilities teams

DEC certificates, EPCs and MEES: which building needs what.

What a Display Energy Certificate and a non-domestic Energy Performance Certificate are, which public and commercial buildings need each one, how long they last, the minimum rating for let buildings, and how to look a certificate up. With a checklist for each building.

Which buildings need a DEC Start reading

Covers England and Wales. Checked against GOV.UK and legislation.gov.uk on 13 October 2026. Next review by 13 April 2027. Not legal advice.

DEC or EPC

Two certificates, two different questions.

Both rate a building from A to G. A DEC rates the energy the building actually used. An EPC rates how efficient the building itself is. Some buildings need one, some need both, and some need neither.

Display Energy Certificate (DEC)

  1. 1
    Measured use.An operational rating from the building's metered energy over 12 months.
  2. 2
    Public authority buildings.Over 250 square metres and frequently visited by the public.
  3. 3
    On the wall.Displayed where visitors can see it, with a valid advisory report kept on file.
  4. 4
    12 months or 10 years.Depending on the floor area.

Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)

  1. 1
    The building's efficiency.An asset rating from the energy estimated for a standard use of the building.
  2. 2
    Sale, letting and construction.Needed when a building is sold, rented out or finished.
  3. 3
    Shown to buyers and tenants.And displayed in some larger buildings the public visit.
  4. 4
    10 years.The rating also sets the minimum standard for let buildings (MEES).

Which buildings need a DEC

Three tests, and all three must apply.

Regulation 14 of the Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) Regulations 2012 applies to:

"buildings occupied by public authorities and frequently visited by the public."Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) Regulations 2012, regulation 14(1), revised text on legislation.gov.uk, 13 October 2026

GOV.UK puts it as three tests. A building needs a DEC if all of these are true:

  • It is at least partly occupied by a public authority, such as a council, leisure centre or college.
  • Its total useful floor area is over 250 square metres. The threshold was over 500 square metres from 9 January 2013, and dropped to over 250 square metres on 9 July 2015.
  • It is frequently visited by the public.

"Frequently visited by the public"

We could not find a definition of these words in the 2012 regulations or in the GOV.UK pages listed under sources. The same words also appear in a separate rule: a non-domestic building over 500 square metres that is frequently visited by the public, and already has an EPC from its sale, letting or construction, must display that EPC. If unsure, ask an accredited energy assessor or take advice.

Who does not need one

  • Private organisations do not need a DEC, but can choose to get one. They may still need an EPC if the building is sold or rented out.
  • A building a public authority owns but lets to a private company for business that is not a public service. The duty sits with the occupier, so the government's 2015 DEC guide says no DEC is required.

What the occupier must do

Every occupier the rule applies to must display a valid DEC "at all times" in a prominent place clearly visible to visitors, and hold a valid recommendation report, which GOV.UK calls the advisory report. The 2015 guide says the DEC should be no smaller than A3. A penalty charge notice can be issued for failing to display a DEC or to hold the report: GOV.UK gives the amounts.

How long a DEC lasts

It depends on the floor area.

Validity runs from the nominated date: a date the energy assessor chooses, no later than three months after the end of the 12 months the rating covers.

Over 1,000 square metres

  1. 12 m
    The DEC is valid for 12 months.So a new DEC is needed every 12 months, rated on the latest 12 months of meter readings.
  2. 7 y
    The advisory report is valid for 7 years.

Over 250 and up to 1,000 square metres

  1. 10 y
    The DEC is valid for 10 years.
  2. 10 y
    The advisory report is valid for 10 years.

What goes into a DEC

The rating comes from actual meter readings or consignment notes for every fuel the building uses, such as gas, oil, district heating and grid electricity. The 2015 guide says the first DEC needs a site visit. Later ones can be based on the assessor's earlier knowledge if the same assessor produces them and the occupier declares that nothing has changed.

The advisory report lists ways to improve the building's energy performance. The 2015 guide says you need not act on them.

When you need an EPC

On sale, on letting, and when building work is finished.

GOV.UK's page for business premises says you must have an EPC if:

  • You rent out or sell the premises. The EPC must be commissioned before the building is marketed, and given free of charge to the eventual buyer or tenant.
  • A building under construction is finished. The person carrying out the work gives the EPC to the owner within five days of completion.
  • The number of separately used parts changes, where the work provides or extends fixed heating, air conditioning or mechanical ventilation.

GOV.UK says "All EPCs are valid for 10 years." A fine can be charged if an EPC is not made available to a prospective buyer or tenant; GOV.UK says it is based on the building's rateable value.

When an EPC must be displayed

You must display an EPC, fixed to a commercial building, if its 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.

Exemptions

GOV.UK lists buildings that do not need an EPC, if you can show it. They include places of worship, temporary buildings used for 2 years or less, detached buildings under 50 square metres, some low-energy industrial and agricultural buildings, some listed or protected buildings, and buildings due for demolition with the consents in place.

If a building also has a DEC

A DEC does not replace an EPC. The 2015 DEC guide says a public building that needs a DEC only needs an EPC as well if it is built, altered in certain ways, sold or let.

MEES for let buildings

The minimum is EPC E, now for existing lets too.

The minimum energy efficiency standard (MEES) comes from the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015.

  1. 2018
    From 1 April 2018:a landlord may only grant a new tenancy, or extend or renew one, if the property has at least an EPC E rating, unless a valid exemption is registered.
  2. 2023
    From 1 April 2023:the same applies to all privately rented non-domestic property, even where the tenancy has not changed.

Which buildings it covers

The regulations cover non-domestic rented property that is legally required to have an EPC, let on a tenancy for a fixed term of more than 6 months and less than 99 years. A shorter let can also be covered, for example where the tenancy can be renewed or extended beyond 6 months. GOV.UK's guidance says non-domestic here would include "most commercial and public sector buildings".

Exemptions

A landlord who cannot reach E can register an exemption on the PRS Exemptions Register. The types include the 7 year payback test, all relevant improvements made, wall insulation that would harm the building, consent refused by a third party, and a fall in value of more than 5%. Most last 5 years. In certain circumstances, a landlord new to a property can register a 6-month exemption. An exemption may not pass to a new owner when the property is sold.

Local Weights and Measures Authorities enforce the regulations, and a confirmed breach can lead to a financial penalty.

What GOV.UK says about future changes

On 18 June 2026 the government published an interim response on strengthening the standard. It says:

"from 2031, it is proposed that all private rented buildings over 1,000 square metres in England and Wales will need to reach a higher standard of energy efficiency of EPC B, where cost effective"MEES in the non-domestic Private Rented Sector: interim response, GOV.UK, 18 June 2026

Buildings under 1,000 square metres would stay at EPC E, and the EPC C step once proposed for 2027 will not go ahead. The change "will only take effect following the successful passage of secondary legislation through Parliament", so it is not law yet.

Look up a certificate

Search by postcode or certificate number.

GOV.UK's Find an energy certificate service covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It finds an existing EPC, a DEC for a public building, or an air conditioning inspection report. Search by postcode, street name and town, or certificate number.

  • Check what you were given. The 2015 DEC guide says you can check a DEC is genuine by entering its reference number. If you cannot find it, contact the accreditation scheme of the assessor who produced it: their details should be on the certificate.
  • Note the dates. Write down each certificate's reference number and the date it runs out, so renewals are not missed.

The regulations let some buildings, which they call excluded buildings, have certificates that are not entered on the register, so not every certificate will show up.

Who can produce one

An accredited energy assessor.

In the 2012 regulations, an energy assessor is an individual who is a member of an accreditation scheme. A DEC must be issued by an assessor accredited to produce DECs for that category of building. The 2015 guide says the assessor is "the only person who can produce a DEC and advisory report for your building", and that your own employees can produce them if an accreditation scheme accepts them.

For an EPC, GOV.UK says the type of assessor depends on how complex the building is. To find one, use GOV.UK's Get a new energy certificate service, and check the assessor is part of an accredited scheme.

The assessor lodges the certificate on the register through their scheme and gives you a copy.

What to check for each building

One line for every building on the estate.

A record-keeping aid written by us, not official guidance. It does not decide whether a building needs a certificate: where in doubt, ask an accredited energy assessor.

The building

  • Address and what the building is used for
  • Who occupies it, and is any of it a public authority
  • Total useful floor area, and its band: up to 250, over 250, over 500 or over 1,000 square metres
  • Whether the public visit it often

The DEC

  • Needed or not, and why
  • Displayed where visitors can see it
  • Reference number and valid until
  • Advisory report held, and valid until

The EPC

  • Reference number, rating and valid until
  • Any sale, letting or building work planned
  • Displayed, if over 500 square metres and often visited
  • Any exemption that applies, and the evidence

If the building is let

  • Tenancy dates and length of term
  • EPC rating against the minimum of E
  • Any exemption registered, and when it ends
  • Whether the proposed EPC B for buildings over 1,000 square metres would apply

For the assessor

  • 12 months of meter readings for every fuel
  • Floor plans and floor areas
  • Changes to heating, cooling, ventilation or lighting
  • Changes in use or occupier since the last certificate

Keep on file

  • A copy of every certificate and report
  • The assessor's name and accreditation scheme
  • Renewal dates in the team's diary
  • Who is responsible for each building

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  1. 1

    EPC and DEC

    An EPC and DEC check for a building.

  2. 2

    Building by building

    Survey evidence, condition reports and EPC checks, building by building.

  3. 3

    Keep the documents close

    Bring reports, specifications and drawings into the building conversation. Review the detail before deciding the next action.

SurveyNest does not produce EPCs or DECs and is not an energy assessor. It does not decide whether a building needs a DEC or an EPC, or whether a let building meets the minimum standard. Only an accredited energy assessor can produce a certificate and lodge it on the register.

More guides

Know the condition, as well as the rating.

GuideBuilding condition surveysWhat a building condition survey covers, how grades and priorities work, and a checklist.Read the guide GuideRoof inspection reportsA roof report laid out part by part, with ratings, photos and notes, and a template.Read the guide

Questions

DECs, EPCs and MEES, answered.

Which buildings need a Display Energy Certificate?

Buildings at least partly occupied by a public authority, with a total useful floor area over 250 square metres, that are frequently visited by the public. All three must apply.

How long is a DEC valid?

12 months for buildings over 1,000 square metres, with an advisory report valid for 7 years. 10 years for buildings over 250 and up to 1,000 square metres, with the advisory report also valid for 10 years.

Is a DEC the same as an EPC?

No. A DEC rates the energy a building actually used over 12 months. An EPC rates how efficient the building is. A public building that needs a DEC also needs an EPC only if it is built, altered in certain ways, sold or let.

What is the minimum EPC rating for a let commercial building?

E, under the MEES regulations, unless a valid exemption is registered. It has applied to new lets, extensions and renewals since 1 April 2018, and to all existing lets since 1 April 2023.

Is EPC B by 2031 the law?

Not yet. The government's interim response of 18 June 2026 proposes EPC B from 2031 for private rented buildings over 1,000 square metres, where cost effective. It only takes effect if secondary legislation passes through Parliament.

Sources

Where these facts come from.

Every fact about the law on this page comes from these GOV.UK and legislation.gov.uk pages, read on 13 October 2026. Some GOV.UK guidance is older than the law it describes, so where they differ we follow the current regulations. The checklist is our own record-keeping aid. This guide is not legal advice: check the latest position before relying on it.

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