Energy Efficiency Standards
It is important to ensure your care home meets the current Government minimum energy efficiency standards and is compliant with the latest regulations.
It is also vital that any upgrades you make to your buildings comply with building regulations and relevant planning permission laws. Your contractors should be able to advise you on these, but this page provides further information and resources to help ensure your buildings, and any improvements you make to them, are compliant with the relevant standards and regulations.
Information and guidance:
The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES)
The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) set a minimum efficiency level for landlords of domestic and non-domestic rented properties after 1st April 2018. It required these properties to be EPC rated A-E for new tenancies, unless they had a permitted exemption. These regulations since 1st April 2020 now apply to all new and existing tenancies. All landlords must now improve their property to EPC rating E or above or register for an exemption when changing tenancy or for all tenancies from 1st April 2023.
Go to the government website for more information on Non-domestic private rented property: minimum energy efficiency standard – landlord guidance.
Or read the full government guidance document for non-domestic properties.
Guidance for the installation of fixed building services
This Government website provides information on heating/cooling, hot water, and lighting installations to help you ensure improvements in these areas are compliant with the energy efficiency requirements of the Building regulations. If you are planning any improvements in these areas we recommend you take a look at this non domestic building services compliance guide.
Guidance on boilers from the Boiler Plus scheme
The Boiler Plus scheme came into force 6th April 2018 as part of the building regulations and requires installers to install boilers with a minimum energy performance standard. The Government Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) provides a fact sheet explaining everything you need to know about this scheme and the new standards.
The BEIS consultation document on this change to building regulations provides the rational for introducing the scheme.
Building regulations approvals
Before you carry out construction works, building upgrades or alterations you will need to find out if you need building regulation approval. (This is different to planning permission and you may need both). You don’t have to do this yourself if you use a contractor that is registered by the competent person scheme (see Products and Suppliers for more details), however, you can find out here if you need approval to carry out the work.
To find a person who is a member of the competent persons scheme who can carry out the work and self-certify your works visit the Competent Persons Register.
To find a person for electrical works who can self-certify visit the electrical competent person register.
Planning permissions
Planning permission is required when you make a major change to your building, build an extension, or want to change the use of your building. For more information on when you will require planning permission and how to apply visit the government planning permission page.
The planning portal
The planning portal is website that provides lots of useful information and interactive guides to help users with finding out if they need planning permission or building regulations approvals.
https://www.planningportal.co.uk/
The website provides information on:
- Building regulations guidance for energy efficiency upgrades
This information will inform you of what to consider in terms of the regulations if you are extending/adding: solar panels, internal lighting, loft insulation, re-cycling water tanks, radiators and pipe lagging to your property.
Building Regulations: Energy Efficiency - A guide to the requirement for planning and building regulations for specific common upgrades / building projects
To find out if you need planning approval and/or building regulations approval for specific upgrades visit Planning Portal common projects
PAS 2030, 2035, 2038 codes of practice
The “PAS” standards are codes of practice for work on the installation of the energy efficient measures. They are aimed to reduce variations on installations and improve the quality of installations.
Ensuring you use certified installers who have adopted these standards should reduce problems associated with retrofit such as defects, poor design and performance. For more information click here.