Improve Your EPC Rating in Manchester: A Commercial Guide

The commercial property market in Manchester is one of the most competitive in the country, with just a 10% vacancy rate. A strong Commercial EPC rating for your Manchester business can increase the appeal and the value of your property. This energy assessment measures the building's energy efficiency and the rating directly correlates to the operating costs. A good score can attract a higher quality of tenant, serious buyers and will be favoured by lenders. Whether you're selling, leasing, or refinancing, we'll show you how to improve your Manchester Commercial EPC rating and maximize your building's potential.

Understanding Your Baseline EPC Rating

There is a broad range of different commercial building types in Manchester. We find modern office blocks in Spinningfields, industrial units in Trafford Park and Victorian mill conversions in Ancoats. Each of these buildings have their own unique opportunities for improvement. Manchester's older buildings often lack insulation of the structure. Industrial sites struggle with services like efficient hot water delivery and old, high bay lighting. Even relatively modern commercial units, such as those around Media City which are only 15 years old, could benefit from upgrades. Many are still using their original HVAC systems despite significant technological improvements since installation.

The EPC assessment takes all these areas into account and more. Your Commercial Energy Assessor collects all the data from site and models the building in software called SBEM (Simplified Building Energy Model).

To improve the Commercial EPC rating of your Manchester building, a gap analysis is the starting point. A Commercial EPC Assessor can generate a baseline result and model different upgrade paths in SBEM. This approach directs capital towards improvements with the highest return on investment.

Quick Commercial EPC Improvements For Manchester Businesses

Improving Manchester Commercial EPC score isn't always an expensive project. There are a few quick wins that will push your score in the right direction and possibly tip you into the band you need.

The most common flaw we see with buildings, particularly early 1900s properties like those in Castlefield, is the lack of loft insulation. Modern building regulations require 270mm of loft insulation, with many new builds having 400mm+. It makes a significant difference to your heating bills and is usually a couple of points gained on the EPC. Loft insulation is inexpensive and easy to fit. Most loft spaces can be insulated in a couple of hours by experienced contractors.

Outdated lighting is still common across Manchester's commercial buildings. This is one of the easiest upgrades a business can make. Most traditional light fittings now have an LED equivalent bulb that can be installed without the need for adapting wiring or circuits. Businesses can handle this internally in most cases.

Another overlooked opportunity to increase your Commercial EPC score in Manchester is hot water storage. Many local buildings use copper cylinders without adequate insulation. A simple 80mm cylinder jacket, costing around £15, can make a significant difference to your rating. We recently helped a Manchester business improve their EPC band just by adding cylinder insulation—see our case study below.

Strategic Commercial EPC Improvements for Manchester Buildings

When your Manchester Commercial EPC assessment shows that larger upgrades are needed to achieve your target rating, whether Band E or Band C, these key improvements will have the most impact.

We touched on building fabric above, with the mention of loft insulation. Insulating external walls will usually yield a larger points difference on the EPC, especially on those buildings with a larger heat loss perimeter. Insulating a cavity is straightforward. If your building was constructed prior to 1930 it likely has solid walls, without a cavity. These can be insulated on either the internal or external surface. There are trade offs to be made though. Internal wall insulation will reduce your available floor space and external insulation will change the character of your building. Both of these could be a problem in a smaller, historic building in Manchester.

We see lots of single glazed windows in Manchester's commercial buildings. A simple, effective upgrade, but it can be costly and again, will change the building's character.

HVAC systems are typically the largest energy consumer in Manchester commercial buildings. Modern systems offer significant efficiency gains. Air conditioning systems are four times more efficient than electric heaters, while new gas boilers are 30% more efficient than older models. Your gap analysis will identify the most cost effective HVAC upgrades for your building.

These upgrades are larger investments. Help is available. Greater Manchester Combined Authority are distributing funds to businesses across the region to help them become more environmentally sustainable. If you have identified an area in your business that needs to be upgraded to improve your Commercial EPC score, this GMCA funding may be available for your business.

Secure Your Investment in Manchester's Commercial Property Market

Upgrading your EPC score comes with many benefits for Manchester businesses . Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) are forecasted to tighten up to a Band C in 2028. This means any property below this band cannot be let. This does not just affect landlords!

To ensure that their investments are secure, lenders match these rental MEES with their own minimum standards in line with the regulations.

To future proof a building in Manchester, a Commercial EPC Band C is the interim target. There is the potential that this will be raised to a Band B in the early 2030s. We've covered Manchester Commercial EPC MEES in-depth in another article.

Now is the time to start planning investments that will be required. Some buildings will need smaller upgrades to align with the targets, others will need significant investment. Understanding your baseline EPC score early will allow you to budget the cost of improvements over multiple years.

How a Manchester Business Improved Their EPC Score

We recently helped a café in the Northern Quarter improve their Commercial EPC rating. Their Band D rating concerned their part-owners, an investment group looking to future-proof against the 2028 MEES requirements.

Our gap analysis showed the building performed well overall for a historic property, but lacked hot water cylinder insulation. By installing an 80mm insulation jacket, costing just £15, improved their rating from a Band D to a Band C.

Take the Next Step With Your Manchester Commercial EPC

As you can see, improving your Commercial EPC rating in Manchester doesn't always require major investment. Whether you need to meet current standards, prepare for future MEES regulations, or want to maximise your building's value in Manchester's competitive market, understanding your starting point is key.

Book your Commercial EPC assessment in Manchester today. Give us a call on 01925 699321 for a quick quote, or to discuss how we can help improve your building's energy rating.

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