Take an enlightened approach to energy efficiency

Shedding light on energy performance

Reading about trees, rainforests and buying ethical furniture is just one way we can gain a greater appreciation of our planet. Being energy-aware is another. The Government appears to have recognised the importance of the latter and now requires property owners to demonstrate their eco principles by declaring the energy performance of their property.

While it’s hardly a case of shouting about Co2 emissions from the chimney tops, an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) must be held which provides the energy rating of a building in black and white. These energy performance certificates form part of the slightly arduous Home Information Packs (HIPs).

An EPC allows buyers and tenants to make an informed decision as to whether a property is energy efficient. Specialist companies such as Manchester-based Enlighten Enviro carry out energy efficiency checks and can quickly issue a Manchester EPC to residential and commercial property owners (both are legally obliged to hold an EPC).

And the requirements don’t stop there – well, for public buildings at least. There’s also the commercial DEC. DEC stands for Display Energy Certificate. Again, this removes any ambiguous grey areas, and requires owners to display the real energy usage of a building as recorded by gas, electricity and other meters. A DEC is only required for buildings occupied by a public authority or an institution providing a public service to a large number of persons with a total useable area greater than 1000m2.

A bit of a headache all this may be, but it does mean we’re all moving towards a more energy efficient world.


More about the EPC and DEC

To get help in obtaining a commercial EPC or commercial DEC or for more information on the subject of energy performance, visit Enlighten Enviro.