RICS urges Government to clarify energy regulations for listed buildings

The act states that properties with an F or G energy performance certificate (EPC) rating will no longer be allowed to be let from 2018, including current or new leases that will last until after 2018.

However, RICS is campaigning for buildings that are of architectural or historical interest to be exempt from implementing the regulations, if it means compliance will change the quality of the properties.

Energy performance​

Martin Russell-Croucher, director of sustainability at RICS, said he’d had a discussion regarding the way listed buildings would be treated during meetings of the working group of minimum energy performance standards in the non-domestic sector.

“Really, it is about getting the Government to clarify how listed buildings will be treated as a result of the regulations in the Energy Act, for example whether non-breathable materials will be added to ‘breathable’ buildings,” he said.

David Morgan, director at Morgan & Clarke chartered surveyors, said that he welcomed the discussion and hopes RICS is successful in its campaign

“There will be an awful lot of problems after 1 April 2018 if every building must be energy efficient. What RICS is trying to achieve is some sense in this lot,” he said.

“If a 16th-century timber-framed pub is made energy efficient you would knock seven bells out of it.”

Clock is ticking​

He added: “The Government takes the sting out of regulations like these by announcing them far ahead of their implementation so we forget about it. In 2011 this was seven years away; we’re now down to four-and-a-half years. The clock is ticking.”

The Department of Energy & Climate Change did not provide a comment for this article, despite several attempts to make contact.