Energy Expert’s warning: Cheap Section 63 reports could cost you thousands

Landlords could be left counting the cost of “cheap” energy performance assessments – a leading Glasgow energy expert is warning.

Glasgow commercial EPC specialist Raj Chall of Scottish Energy Services believes property owners could be left thousands of pounds out of pocket following fines and unnecessary building work if they cut corners while fulfilling their obligations under the Scottish Government’s new section 63 legislation.

Glasgow EPC specialist and energy efficiency expert Raj Chall of Scottish Energy Services said:

“Section 63 reports have been compulsory for almost a year now and in that time it’s become clear to those of use practicing commercial EPC that many clients do not fully appreciate the complexity of a comprehensive and well-considered Section 63 Assessment.”

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SECTION 63 OF THE CLIMATE CHANGE (SCOTLAND) ACT 2009

Under Section 63 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 – which came into force in September 2016 – commercial building owners must commission an report into their building’s energy performance from a qualified assessor before drawing up an action plan detailing energy and emission saving targets and physical improvements they plan to improve energy efficiency.

So-called Section 63 plans are mandatory when a commercial building is leased to a new tenant or put up for sale, and operate alongside existing Energy Performance Certificate requirements.

As a result, they’re often tempted to choose the cheapest possible quotes for carrying out the work, and this can really cost them in the long-run.

What does a Commercial EPC  Certificate cost?

The answer can be several hundred pounds but those costs are likely to be negligible compared to fines of £1000 for every single failure to comply with section 63 legislation and tens of thousands of pounds of unnecessary or ineffectual improvements.

“A low quality Section 63 assessment is often carried out by focusing on ‘default’ points like windows, walls and heating systems. A good assessor will instead isolate individual areas and creating smaller bespoke ‘complaint zones’.

“Subsequent reports will allow landlords to make significant savings by specifying simpler and smaller scale improvements to ensure compliance with their section 63 obligations. This can take longer and involve more dialogue with the assessor but is highly likely to pay off in the long run.”