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Beyond the certificate · Improvement planning for commercial buildings
Vital EPC Plus Report
An EPC tells you the building's rating. It does not tell you which improvements are most appropriate, what they may cost or how best to plan them. Vital EPC Plus goes further.
Today
Law
EPC E
Minimum standard to let most commercial property in England and Wales
From 2031
Proposed
EPC B
Proposed for privately rented buildings over 1,000m²
Under 1,000m²
Stays at E
No set deadline to go beyond E, for now
Net zero
2050
The UK's legally binding target for the whole building stock
The Law
The move to EPC B from 2031 is a government proposal that needs secondary legislation. It is not yet law. Vital will keep this page current as the position changes.
The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) currently set a minimum EPC rating of E for most privately rented commercial property in England and Wales.
The Government has confirmed its intention to strengthen non-domestic MEES. Subject to secondary legislation, privately rented buildings over 1,000m² are proposed to need an EPC rating of B from 2031, where the required improvements are cost-effective. The previously proposed EPC C milestone for 2027 will not be taken forward.
Buildings below 1,000m² are currently intended to remain at EPC E, with no set deadline for going beyond this level. However, landlords should not assume that smaller buildings can simply be ignored. The UK has a legally binding target to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and improving the energy performance of the entire commercial building stock will be an important part of that transition.
Today's minimum legal requirement should not necessarily be tomorrow's investment strategy.
What is an EPC Plus report?
An EPC tells you the building's modelled energy performance rating. It does not, on its own, tell you which improvements are most appropriate, what they may cost or how best to plan them.
Vital EPC Plus goes further. Our bespoke report assesses the building and models potential improvement measures to identify a practical and cost-effective route forward. Drawing on our experience of surveying thousands of commercial buildings, we help identify opportunities to:
- Improve the EPC rating towards B or A, where achievable
- Identify the most cost-effective improvement measures
- Understand likely costs, savings and payback
- Plan improvements in practical phases
- Consider electrification and lower-carbon solutions
- Prepare for future regulatory requirements
- Develop a longer-term pathway towards net zero in operation
Every building is different, so EPC Plus is bespoke to the property rather than based on a standard list of recommendations.
Why consider an EPC Plus for your commercial building?
Understand your building's potential
An EPC provides a rating. An EPC Plus helps you understand what is driving that rating and what could realistically be done to improve it.
Invest where it matters
Not every improvement will make financial or practical sense. We assess different options to help identify where investment is likely to deliver the greatest benefit.
Plan improvements in the right order
Improvements can often be phased around planned maintenance, refurbishment, lease events and available capital, rather than requiring everything to be done at once.
Prepare for future MEES requirements
The proposed move to EPC B from 2031 applies to privately rented buildings over 1,000m² and is not yet law. Understanding your property’s improvement potential now gives you more time to plan and budget.
Don't ignore smaller buildings
Smaller buildings are not currently included in the proposed 2031 EPC B requirement, but that should not mean they are forgotten. If the UK is to achieve its legally binding net zero target by 2050, it is reasonable to expect continued pressure to improve the wider building stock over time. For landlords with mixed-size portfolios, planning ahead across the whole portfolio could help avoid costly, rushed investment later.
Think beyond the EPC
Improving an EPC rating and reducing operational carbon are not necessarily the same thing. EPC Plus considers the longer-term transition towards lower-carbon and all-electric solutions, helping owners understand how individual improvements could contribute to a wider decarbonisation strategy.
Support better asset management decisions
Energy performance can form part of wider property investment, asset management and ESG considerations. A clear improvement pathway helps owners and asset managers make better-informed decisions about future capital expenditure.
Attract and retain quality occupiers
Energy performance and sustainability are increasingly important to businesses choosing premises. A more energy-efficient building supports occupiers’ own ESG and net zero objectives, while keeping the property attractive and competitive in a sustainability-conscious market.
One building. One plan. A clearer route forward.
Whether your priority is improving an EPC rating, preparing for future MEES requirements, planning capital expenditure or developing a longer-term decarbonisation strategy, Vital EPC Plus gives you the information you need to make informed decisions.
Talk to the Vital team
0345 111 7700
info@vitaldirect.co.uk
Tell us the building, its current rating and what you are trying to achieve, and we will explain what an EPC Plus would cover.
Request a quote
Official sources
Start with the certificate
Energy Performance Certificates
If your building does not yet have a valid EPC, or the existing one is due to expire, that is the starting point. Vital provides commercial EPC assessments across the UK, and an EPC Plus can be commissioned alongside a new EPC or built on an existing one.
Measure first. Then model.
About commercial EPCs
- Required when a building is built, sold or let
- Valid for 10 years
- Penalties up to £5,000 per breach
- The baseline every EPC Plus starts from
Common questions
What building owners and asset managers ask before commissioning an EPC Plus.
Can the improvements be phased?
Usually, yes. Many measures can be timed around planned maintenance, refurbishment, lease events and available capital rather than done all at once. The report sets out a sensible order.
Do I need an EPC Plus if my building is already an E?
E is the minimum to let today. The proposed move to B from 2031 for buildings over 1,000m² means an E-rated building of that size has a gap to close, and the earlier it is planned the cheaper it tends to be. For smaller buildings, an EPC Plus is about planning ahead rather than a looming deadline.
Does improving the EPC reduce my carbon emissions?
Not always in the same proportion. Improving an EPC rating and reducing operational carbon are related but not identical, which is why EPC Plus considers both.
Is an EPC Plus a legal requirement?
No. The EPC is the legal requirement. EPC Plus is an improvement planning report that tells you how to move the rating and the building forward, and in what order.
Is EPC B by 2031 definitely happening?
The Government has confirmed its intention, but it needs secondary legislation and is not yet law. The earlier EPC C by 2027 milestone has been dropped. We label everything on this page as law or proposal so you can plan with the right level of certainty.
What does an EPC Plus report actually contain?
An assessment of the building, modelled improvement measures with their effect on the rating, likely costs, savings and payback, a suggested phasing, and the longer-term options for lower-carbon and all-electric solutions.
Measure. Model. Improve. Comply.
One building. One plan. A clearer route forward.
Vital EPC Plus gives you the information you need to make informed decisions about your building.