The Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) Regulations 2012
UK Statutory Instrument 2012 No. 3118 — creates 4 criminal offences.
- Made
- 17 December 2012
- In force from
- 9 January 2013
- Extent
- Not stated
- Subject
- Housing, planning, heritage and land
- Made under
- Energy Act 2011, European Communities Act 1972
Explanatory note
(This note is not part of the Regulations) — published with the instrument by the department that made it. © Crown copyright, reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
These Regulations consolidate the Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 (“the 2007 Regulations”) with subsequent amendments to them since the 2007 Regulations came into force. The 2007 Regulations enacted for England and Wales requirements of Directive 2002/91/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2002 on the energy performance of buildings (“the original Directive”). They were subsequently amended to add other provision not required by the original Directive. These Regulations, in addition to consolidation, enact for England and Wales where necessary new requirements in Directive 2010/31/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 May 2010 on the energy performance of buildings (recast) (“the recast Directive”). They also make amendments both to provisions which enacted the original Directive and to other provisions. The EPB Directive lays down requirements regarding energy performance certificates, display of certificates in large public buildings, and regular inspection of air-conditioning systems. For the purposes of transposition of the recast Directive, these Regulations should be read in conjunction with the Building Regulations 2010 (“the Building Regulations”) as amended by the Building Regulations etc (Amendment) Regulations 2012. Only Parts 1, 2 and 3 of these Regulations contain new provision enacting requirements of the recast Directive. Part 1 of these Regulations contains several new definitions, including new regulation 4 regarding recommendation reports which enacts article 11(2), (3) and (4) of the recast Directive. Part 2 of these Regulations concerns requirements relating to energy performance certificates when buildings are sold, rented out or marketed. It includes new provision enacting requirements of article 4(2) (in regulation 5), article 11(2), (3), (4) and (7) (in regulation 9), article 12(4) (in regulation 11) and article 13(2) (in regulation 10) of the recast Directive. Details of exceptions under the recast Directive, and with respect to buildings to be demolished, are in regulation 5 and regulation 8. The content of an energy performance certificate is specified in regulation 9. Other Part 2 provisions include the following requirements: 1 Subject to exceptions, a valid energy performance certificate must be made available free of charge to a prospective buyer or tenant at the earliest opportunity; and where appropriate the asset rating of the building must be stated in any advertisement of its sale or rental in commercial media. 2 A valid energy performance certificate (if one does not already exist) must be commissioned before a building is marketed. 3 A valid energy performance certificate must be prominently displayed in a building over a specified size which is frequently visited by the public. Part 3 of these Regulations concerns display energy certificates, and includes in regulation 15 new provision enacting requirements of articles 11(2), 12(1)(b) and 13(1) of the recast Directive. A display energy certificate must give operational and other information relating to energy performance of buildings of specified sizes which are occupied by public authorities and frequently visited by the public. Part 4, concerning inspection of air-conditioning systems, provides that the person who has control of the operation of an air-conditioning system over a specified output must ensure the system is inspected at regular intervals not exceeding 5 years (regulation 18). Part 5 requires that energy assessors who produce specified certificates or inspect air-conditioning systems must be members of an accreditation scheme approved by the Secretary of State (regulation 22). Part 6 requires certain documents produced by energy assessors to be entered onto a register maintained by the Secretary of State. Regulations 30 to 32 set out who may be given information from the register. Part 7 deals with enforcement and makes provision for enforcement by way of civil penalties. Regulation 34 imposes a duty on local weights and measures authorities to enforce in their area duties relating to certificates and air-conditioning system inspections. Regulation 36 empowers enforcement authorities to issue penalty charge notices for any breach. In Part 8, regulation 44 deals with application to the Crown, and regulation 45 imposes a duty to allow access to, and co-operate with, persons subject to duties regarding certificates and air-conditioning system inspections, so far as is reasonably necessary. A transposition note setting out how these Regulations implement the recast Directive, and a full regulatory impact assessment of the effect that they will have on the costs of business and the voluntary sector, are available from the Department for Communities and Local Government website or from that Department (contact Jonathan Bramhall on 030344 41803 or email jonathan.bramhall@communities.gsi.gov.uk). A copy is also annexed to the Explanatory Memorandum which is available alongside the Regulations on the website at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-communities-and-local-government.
Offences created by this instrument
- Disclosure of data: general regulation 29(2) · Status not determined · Strict liability
- A person who obstructs an officer of an enforcement authority acting in pursuance of regulation 35 is guilty of an… regulation 43(1) · Status not determined · Strict liability
- A person who, not being an authorised officer of an enforcement authority, purports to act as such in pursuance of… regulation 43(2) · Status not determined · Strict liability
- Application to the Crown regulation 44(2) · Status not determined · Strict liability
What Parliament said about it
Contributions, debates and written statements mentioning this instrument by name. Parliamentary material is reused under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.
- Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations 2012, No. 3118: Consultation
Commons · Written Statements · 19 May 2020 · The Minister for Housing (Christopher Pincher)
I wish to update the House on the publication of a consultation on changes to the Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) Regulations 2012 (SI2012/3118). The United Kingdom has set in law a target to bring its greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050 to help tackle climate change. Heating and powering buildings currently accounts for 40% of the UK’s total energy usage. We must ensure that buildings are constructed to high standards of energy efficiency and that the regime for regulating the energy performance of buildings is robust. This consultation seeks views on proposals…
- Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill (Twenty Third sitting)
Commons · Public Bill Committees · 13 October 2022 · Dehenna Davison
As we have already debated, clause 175 entitles a landlord to compensation for damage resulting from the exercise of the power of entry by local authorities. This is an established approach, as powers of entry on to private land where compulsory powers are being considered are typically given to statutory authorities on the basis that compensation is payable by those authorities for damage suffered by the landowner, and as a result of the exercise of the power. Subsection (5) provides that, aside from those arising from subsection (1) in respect of the power of entry, there is no other…
- Energy Bill [Lords] (Ninth sitting)
Commons · Public Bill Committees · 13 June 2023 · Andrew Bowie
Clause 205 will provide the Secretary of State with the power to make changes to the existing Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) Regulations 2012 to ensure that they are fit for purpose and contribute effectively to improving the energy efficiency of premises. Following the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union, it is necessary to create new primary powers to permit changes to be made to the 2012 regulations, as that power was lost with the repeal of the European Communities Act 1972. Clause 206 will enable the Secretary of State to make changes to the Energy Performance…
- Renters (Reform) Bill (Ninth sitting)
Commons · Public Bill Committees · 28 November 2023 · Matthew Pennycook
I beg to move amendment 176, in clause 34, page 41, line 33, at end insert— “(3A) The regulations must provide for the following information or documents to be provided to the database operator as part of the process of creating entries on the database— (a) an address, telephone number and email address for the residential landlord; (b) an address, telephone number and email address for all managing agents engaged by the residential landlord; (c) details of every dwelling that is being let by the residential landlord; (d) evidence that the residential landlord has supplied a copy of the ‘How…
- Renters’ Rights Bill
Commons · Commons Chamber · 14 January 2025 · Madam Deputy Speaker (Judith Cummins)
With this it will be convenient to discuss the following: Government new clause 14— Prohibition of rent in advance before lease entered into. Government new clause 15— Guarantor not liable for rent payable after tenant’s death. Government new clause 16 —Limitation on obligation to pay removal expenses. New clause 1— Limit on rent to be requested in advance of tenancy — “In the 1988 Act, after section 14ZB (inserted by section 8 of this Act) insert— “14ZBA Maximum rent to be paid in advance No rent may be requested or received in advance of any period of the tenancy which exceeds the rent for…
How Parliament handled it
Parliament's Statutory Instruments service records procedure from May 2017 onwards, and this instrument predates it. That is a limit of the source, not a statement that nothing happened.
Check the source
- This instrument on legislation.gov.uk The authoritative text, including amendments made since
- Other instruments from 2012