Checklist: Is your office building ready for the future of EPC requirements?
1. What's your current EPC position?
Start with the basics:
- What is your current EPC rating?
- When was the last assessment completed?
- Which recommendations have been implemented — and which remain outstanding?
The rating itself is only the starting point. Two buildings with the same EPC grade can have very different technical conditions and very different routes to improvement. Understanding what sits behind the rating helps determine whether the next step is a targeted intervention or part of a larger refurbishment strategy.
It is also worth considering the timing of the next lease event, planned refurbishment or major equipment replacement. These moments can provide natural opportunities to incorporate energy upgrades into work that would be happening anyway.
2. Is your building fabric performing efficiently?
Review your insulation levels, windows and glazing performance, air leakage and heat loss, roof and wall condition.
Building fabric has a direct relationship with the systems operating inside it. Poor thermal performance can increase heating and cooling demand, meaning even modern M&E equipment may be working harder than necessary.
Understanding the condition of the envelope therefore helps distinguish between a systems problem and a building-performance problem — and prevents investment being directed at one while ignoring the other.
3. Are your mechanical and electrical systems working efficiently?
Older M&E systems can significantly affect energy performance and operating costs — worth checking against current standards, not just working order.
"Operational" and "efficient" are not the same thing. Plant may continue to function long after its performance has fallen behind newer alternatives. Controls may also be poorly configured, systems may operate when areas are unoccupied, or different components may no longer work efficiently together.
A technical review can therefore look beyond whether equipment simply works and consider how it performs in the context of the whole building.
4. Do you have a clear refurbishment roadmap?
A strong EPC strategy identifies which works should be prioritised, and when — not just what needs doing eventually.
Prioritisation matters because not every improvement needs to happen simultaneously. Some interventions make sense immediately; others may be better coordinated with lease events, planned fit-outs or the end of an existing system's lifecycle.
A phased roadmap allows owners to understand what should happen first, which works depend on others and where combining scopes can reduce repeated disruption and unnecessary cost.
5. Is your technical documentation complete?
Maintain:
- Building surveys
- M&E specifications
- Asset schedules
- Evidence of completed improvements
Technical data is essential for understanding the true performance of your asset.
Good records also make future decision-making considerably easier. When consultants and contractors can see what has been installed, when it was installed and what has already been changed, the building can be assessed on evidence rather than assumptions.
For portfolios, consistent documentation becomes even more valuable because it allows owners to compare assets, identify priorities and plan capital expenditure across several properties rather than responding to each building only when an issue appears.
Can you answer all five with confidence? If not, that's exactly where a proper EPC assessment earns its keep.
The purpose of the exercise is not simply to produce another certificate. It is to create a clearer picture of where the building stands today, where investment is likely to be required and how those works can be integrated into the wider asset strategy.
At SHATRO | London, we help commercial property owners prepare for future building performance requirements by combining energy analysis, engineering expertise and construction delivery.
Get in touch for an EPC review of your portfolio.
