Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what information his Department holds on the number of (a) offices, (b) shops and (c) warehouses which do not currently meet the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards for commercial buildings being proposed for 2030.

Based on publicly available MHCLG data, approximately 87% of offices, 83% of shops, and 91% of warehouses have a valid EPC rated below EPC B - the minimum standard proposed in the 2019 consultation to strengthen the non-domestic Private Rented Sector Regulations. This data cannot be filtered by tenure and so figures shown relate to the whole non-domestic building stock, rather than the rented sector in scope of these regulations, which represents 40% of non-domestic buildings according to Building Energy Efficiency Survey (BEES) data.

The government has not yet published the response to the consultation, which is scheduled for the first half of 2025 when we will set out the updated standard and date for non-domestic buildings. We are reviewing the MEES timelines to ensure sufficient lead-in time. The regulations contain a number of exemptions to ensure that properties only need to get to the highest EPC band where the improvements are practical and cost-effective.