What to Expect When Getting a Commercial EPC in Manchester (2025 Guide)

A Commercial EPC in Manchester is needed whenever a property is built, sold, or leased. There are a few exceptions, but 99% of property transactions in Manchester will need an Energy Performance Certificate. In this guide, we'll show you:

• How to check if your property needs this business energy assessment.
• Steps to find a trusted and accredited EPC assessor.
• A walkthrough of the assessment process and what to prepare.
• What you'll get when you receive the results.

Read on to learn everything to know about the process of getting a business energy certificate in Manchester and how you can maximise your result.

Get A Commercial EPC Quote

Does Your Manchester Building Need A Commercial EPC?

Selling or leasing a Commercial EPC space in Manchester. It is likely that you will need a Commercial EPC. There are some exceptions though. You don't need one if your building is:

• Completely detached and is less than 50m² in total floor area.
• Due to be demolished.
• A temporary structure with a planned use of less than 2 years.
• A place of worship.
• A low energy use building, like an agricultural barn.

You should also check to see if you already have an in-date Commercial EPC. Each one lasts for 10 years. Even if your property has not been sold or leased in this period, Commercial EPCs are used for upgrade schemes in Manchester too.

To check the Government's register of all Commercial EPCs, just enter your postcode.

Choosing a Qualified Commercial EPC Assessor in Manchester

Once you've confirmed that you do need a new Commercial EPC, a site visit needs to be scheduled with a Non Domestic Energy Assessor.

This Commercial Energy Assessor will need to be qualified and accredited to be able to complete the EPC for you. For example, we're ABBE (Birmingham City University) qualified and accredited by Elmhurst Energy, the industry leading body.

Give us a call on 01925 699 321 to book your Commercial EPC site visit in Manchester.

Your assessor should be experienced, not only with Commercial EPCs, but also the local property market. Understanding common types of buildings in Manchester and their quirks is essential to producing an accurate EPC.

Preparing For Your EPC Assessment in Manchester

Your Commercial Energy Performance Certificate Assessor will need to access all areas of the building. Making sure rooms are unlocked and accessible is really helpful. Loft spaces too.

Emailing a copy of your buildings floor plans to your assessor, prior to the assessment will reduce the amount of time they need to spend on site.

Other documentation that will be useful to your energy assessor are:

• Specification documents of your services e.g. boiler, hot water, air conditioning manuals
• Planning permission or building control sign off for any alterations
• Building certificates e.g. wall or loft insulation.

Making all areas of your building available and providing all of the documentation to your assessor will not only make sure the process goes smoothly, but will likely mean a higher EPC score. Your assessor will be able to accurately model your building without making any assumptions about it's energy efficiency.

The Onsite Commercial EPC Assessment

The onsite assessment can take anywhere between 10 minutes and a full day to complete. This depends on the size and complexity of your building. The average Commercial EPC Assessment in Manchester takes between 30 minutes and 1 hour.

During the assessment, both the fabric of your building and it's services will be evaluated.

The fabric of the building is what your building is made from and how well it is insulated. A typical Victorian era construction in Castlefield will have solid walls, suspended timber floors and a pitched, slated roof. Your assessor will be looking to see if any of these areas have been upgraded with insulation and to what extent.

When assessing the services, make and model of your HVAC systems, including boilers and AC units will be noted. Hot water, lighting, ventilation and any renewable technology will also be considered here too. The more information we can gather, the more accurate your result will be.

Processing The Commercial EPC & SBEM Reports In Manchester

Once all the onsite information has been collected, your Non Domestic Energy Assessor will use software called SBEM to generate reports and the data for the certificate. It's the same software used to create BRUKL / SBEM Reports for commercial new builds.

This process can take as little as an hour for the simplest of buildings up to a few days for complex properties. On average, we get your new Commercial EPC Certificate uploaded within one day of the site visit. Let us know if you are in a rush and we'll get it done the same day if possible.

Receiving Your New Commercial EPC Certificate in Manchester

Once the processing is complete, we email everything over straightaway. You will get:

• A link to your new EPC on the Commercial EPC Register
• A Recommendations Report

On the certificate your property will fall into a band rating between A (best) and G (worst). You'll also be able to compare your result to similar properties on the certificate itself.

The key bandings for Manchester businesses are Band E, which is the current minimum rental standard and Band C which is proposed to be the minimum rental standard from 2028.

Although these are Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) regulations for rentals, they are also important for lenders. Many match these minimum standards when making lending decisions. Some even offer discounts for higher rated properties.

Need a Commercial EPC in Manchester? This guide covers everything you need to know, from checking requirements to finding a trusted assessor, preparing for the assessment, and understanding your results. A qualified energy assessor will ensure your property is accurately rated, helping you meet rental standards and maximise efficiency. We process certificates quickly, often within a day of the site visit, ensuring you're ready for your next step. Whether building, selling, or leasing, your EPC is just a call away.

Call us on 01925 699 321 to book your Commercial EPC site visit today!