Energy Performance Certificate

Minimum Energy Performance Standards

H.M. Government of Gibraltar approves minimum energy performance standards for buildings. These are regularly updated to reflect increased environmental ambition and encapsulated within the SBEM-GI software. Standards exist for both new and existing buildings across the residential and non-residential sectors.

Failure to achieve these standards will result in a certificate of fitness not being issued by Building Control. As such, builders/developers are encouraged to produce Predictive Energy Assessments for their projects to verify that the minimum standards will be met before works begin.

Please note, however, that only H.M. Government of Gibraltar accredited energy assessors will be able to produce valid Energy Performance Certificates.

What does this mean for you?

The Directive requires that all buildings be issued with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) upon construction, sale or rental. Please note that under the terms of this legislation a building is defined as one that uses energy to condition the indoor climate, i.e. buildings with fixed heating or cooling installations. An EPC provides a rating for the energy performance of a building. The ratings are standard so that the energy efficiency of one building can be easily compared with another building of a similar type. The ratings will look similar to a white goods energy rating where an ‘A rating’ indicates a high level of efficiency and G indicates a low level.

GOVERNMENT ACCREDITED ENERGY ASSESSORS

The following individuals have undertaken the necessary training and are accredited as Energy Assessors for domestic and non-domestic buildings under the Government of Gibraltar Accreditation Scheme.

Who is responsible for obtaining an Energy Performance Certificate?

For buildings that are to be sold, the building's owner will be responsible for ensuring a certificate is available; this should be shown, on request, to any prospective purchaser, and should in any case be provided by the owner to the ultimate purchaser before a contract for sale is made. For buildings that are to be rented, it is the landlord’s responsibility to provide the prospective tenant with a copy of the Energy Performance Certificate. Energy Performance Certificates will be valid for a period of 10 years.

What buildings will be exempt from providing Energy Performance Certificates?

The following buildings are exempt from requiring an Energy Performance Certificate: - places of worship - stand-alone buildings of less than 50 square metres (except for dwellings) - temporary buildings with a planned time of use of 2 years or less - in certain limited circumstances buildings to be demolished are exempt from requiring a certificate - an Energy Performance Certificate is not required for any (off-plan) sales or lettings before the construction of the building has been completed

How much will Energy Performance Certificates cost?

The price of an energy performance certificate will be set by the market and not by Government. We expect these costs to vary according to the size, type, and complexity of the property or development.

Will Energy Performance Certificates be required for rented accommodation?

Yes. The Regulations require that Energy Performance Certificates will need to be provided for all buildings when they are constructed, sold or rented.

Is an Energy Performance Certificate required for the private sale of a home between two individuals?

Yes. The Regulations require that Energy Performance Certificates will need to be provided for all buildings when they are constructed, sold or rented out.

What happens if my building gets a low rating?

This simply indicates your building could be more energy efficient. During the inspection, a number of recommendations to improve the energy efficiency will be identified. Implementation of these could not only increase your rating and reduce carbon emissions but also save money on energy bills. It is up to you whether you implement the recommendations or not.

Who monitors the EPC process?

The competent authority for Energy Performance Legislation is the Department of the Environment and Climate Change (DECC). DECC operates an independant control system for EPCs as well as for the reports on heating and air-conditioning systems. This involves most if not all EPCs issued being subjected to differing levels of verification:

- The highest proportion of certificates issued are checked for the validity of the input date and verification of the results of the EPC. The recommendations reports are also checked to ensure that these are relevant to and consistent with what is known about the building (e.g. making sure that installation of wind turbines hasn't been recommended for a mid-floor flat)

- A smaller proportion also undergo a full check of the input data of the building and a full verification of the results and the recommendations. This includes a visit on site with the energy assessor to ensure that the specifications being used for the calculations correspond to the building being certified.

A similar process is employed for the verification of heating and air conditioning reports.

Source https://www.gibraltar.gov.gi/environment/energy/energy-performance-certificates