Display Energy Certificates (DEC's)

What a DEC will tell you

Display Energy Certificates (DECs) are designed to show the energy performance of public buildings.

They use a scale that runs from ‘A’ to ‘G’ - ‘A’ being the most efficient and ‘G’ being the least.

Buildings that need a certificate

Public authorities must have a DEC for a building if all the following are true:

• It’s at least partially occupied by a public authority (i.e. Council, Leisure Centre, colleges, NHS trust).

• It has a total floor area of over 500 square meters.

• It’s frequently visited by the public.

How long DECs last

DECs last for 1 year for buildings with a total useful floor area more than 500 square meters.

They last for 10 years when the total useful floor area is over 500 square meters and up to 1,000 square meters.

Send us an email and the most appropriate person will contact you by return. 

contact@

armstrongenergyconsultants.co.uk

Give us a call to for an initial consultation on our services. We are open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm

07468 587152

Private organisations 

Private organisations don’t need a DEC but can choose to get one if they want to. They may still need an Energy Performance Certificate if the building is sold or rented.

Where to find the certificate

Public authorities must display their DEC in a prominent place clearly visible to the public, i.e. near the building’s entrance. They can be fined £500 if they don’t.

Contact the occupier of the building if you can’t find the DEC.

Display Energy Certificate

The certificate must be displayed in a public place. It will also provide an Asset Rating & an Operational Rating. 

Advisory Reports

The Advisory Report will contain recommendations for improving the energy performance of the building and its energy usage. A DEC is valid for 12 months and needs to be updated annually. The Advisory Report which includes recommendations for improvements is valid for 7 years.

About the Display Energy Certificate

The display energy certificate differs from the domestic/commercial counterpart in that the certificate incorporates an Asset Rating & Operational Rating, DEC's are only issued for Public Buildings at this time - see below. 

Refer also to the implementation guide under EPC Schedule. The Advisory Report may specify recommendations to improve the energy efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions, the asset owner must retain possession of the report. Currently, it is not mandatory to comply with the recommendations made in the advisory report.

Asset Rating - means a numerical indicator of the amount of energy estimated to meet the different needs associated with a standardised use of a building, calculated according to the methodology approved by the Secretary of State.

Operational Rating - means a numeric indicator of the amount of energy consumed during the occupation of the building over a period of 12 months unless:

Where on 4th January 2009: the occupier of a building has been in occupation for less than 15 months or, entered into occupation of the building before 6th April 2008; or entered into occupation on or after that date but did not have an energy performance certificate made available or given to it. 

In these cases the operational rating specified may be calculated over the period in which the occupier has been in occupation. 

A Display Energy Certificate (DEC) shows the actual energy usage of a building, the Operational Rating, and it helps the public to see the energy efficiency of the building. This is based on the energy consumption as recorded by gas, electricity and other meters. 

A DEC should be clearly displayed at all times and clearly visible to the public. It is also accompanied by an Advisory Report that lists cost effective measures to improve the energy rating of the building. A DEC is only required for a building with a total useful floor area over 1,000 square meters, that is occupied by a public authority and institution providing a public service to a large number of persons and therefore visited by those persons. 

The certificate is valid for one year. The accompanying Advisory Report is valid for seven years.