Display Energy Certificates

This MI sheet summarises the requirements of Display Energy Certificates (DECs) and sets out a central scheme being adopted to ensure compliance in Norfolk schools within an acceptable timescale.

It applies only to schools listed in Annex 1. Others may disregard this MI sheet.

Background

1. National legislation comes into force on October 1^st 2008 requiring all public buildings where one or more blocks has a floor area of over 1,000 square metres to display a Display Energy Certificate (DEC) at the entrance to the building. This includes schools.

2. Specific requirements are:

• The first Certificate has to be supported by an Advisory Report, prepared by an accredited assessor.
• The Report will recommend basic energy-saving measures, but meeting the recommendations is not mandatory upon the owner/occupier of the building;
• The Report is logged nationally
• The Certificate needs to be updated annually but the report needs to be updated every seven years.

3. Further details on DECs may be found at http://www.communities.gov.uk/planningandbuilding/theenvironment/energyperformance/epbdfaqs/energperformancebuildings/displaenergycertificates/

Planning For Compliance

4. In the case of schools, it will be a Governing Body responsibility to ensure compliance and to identify funding for compliance. However for initial compliance, the Schools Forum has agreed that funding be provided centrally from the Schools' budget.

5. The cost of the DEC and Report is estimated to be about £500 for each building coming under the requirement; the annual refresh of the Certificate itself will cost about £150.

6. Schools to which the requirement applies are listed in Annex 1.

What Happens Next

7. From October NPS will contact schools to request energy consumption data and arrange an appointment for an Energy Assessor to carry out a walk-through survey of your buildings.
8. Where NPS has up to date information about energy use at a school and where they have detailed knowledge of the building the Energy Assessor should be able to produce the DEC and the Advisory Report without the need to visit your School.
9. When the Energy Assessor has obtained all necessary information he/she will prepare the DEC and the Advisory Report for submission to the national register. Once approved the Assessor will issue the documents direct to the School.
10. Where a site visit is necessary the DEC and Report will be submitted to the national register within 21 days of the date of the visit. Once approved the Assessor will issue the documents direct to the School.

When Will My School Be Assessed

11. NPS anticipate that it will take between 6 and 12 months from October 2008 to complete the process for all school buildings. The compliance authority, Norfolk Trading Standards, has been made aware of this.

What Schools Need To Do

12. On request, provide the Assessor with energy consumption data for the building for the 12-month period prior to the date of assessment.

13. Start to record stock levels of oil and solid fuels and provide any historic stock level data to the Assessor. Keep a record of all deliveries and check the level of stock on a monthly basis, recording in a log book an estimate of the amount of fuel used. For example it should be possible to approximately estimate oil consumption from the known capacity of the tank. Delivery information alone, under current guidelines, will not suffice.
14. Start to record any electricity or gas sub-meters and provide any historic meter readings to the Assessor.
15. If you have a site with multiple buildings and more than one electricity or gas meter it is important that you know which supplies serve which buildings. This will aid the Assessor in creating an accurate DEC for each affected building.
16. Prepare a location for the display of the certificate and when provided, frame and fix the certificate
17. Make revenue provision for the first annual review of the certificate.

Annex 1.

Contacts For Further Information

Richard Leigh, Assistant Director Building Surveying, NPS Tel:01603 706103 Email: richard.leigh@nps.

Michael Dawson, Energy Manager, NPS Tel: 01603 706136 Email: michael.dawson@nps.co.uk

Your NPS Property Surveyor.