Improving Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings across commercial buildings is fast becoming a key priority for organisations managing property portfolios and compliance risk.

With proposed updates to Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) and growing scrutiny around non-domestic building performance, many businesses are reviewing their EPC exposure across estates. However, identifying which factors are limiting performance, and what practical steps can genuinely improve ratings, is often challenging.

To support this early stage understanding, TEAM Energy has developed a Commercial EPC Rating Improvement Calculator, an online tool that helps businesses explore how different factors influence EPC ratings and where opportunities for improvement may exist.

Research from the British Property Federation (BPF), which analysed commercial building efficiency across seven major UK cities, found that 83% of properties fall below the EPC rating required to meet proposed 2030 standards.

Understanding what drives EPC performance

A range of building characteristics, including age, construction type, fabric condition, building services and controls , can all influence EPC outcomes. Using high-level, simplified inputs, the calculator provides indicative insights into the variables that commonly impact rating performance, helping organisations pinpoint areas most likely to benefit from targeted upgrades.

For instance, a two-storey office built before 1980 with solid walls, mixed glazing and an average roof structure may currently achieve a low EPC rating, such as a G. By using the calculator, organisations can explore how relatively straightforward changes might improve performance, including:

• Upgrading to LED lighting, combined with occupancy or daylight controls where appropriate
• Enhancing building controls such as scheduling, zoning and system optimisation to minimise unnecessary operating hours
• Exploring roof insulation improvements, often one of the most effective fabric upgrades
• Reviewing glazing options or introducing secondary measures, such as draught proofing or solar control film, depending on building constraints

Supporting early-stage planning, not replacing formal assessment

It is important to note that the EPC Rating Improvement Calculator is designed as an initial planning tool rather than a compliance solution. It does not generate a legally valid EPC or replace a formal assessment, which must be carried out by an accredited assessor using approved methodologies such as SBEM.

Instead, its purpose is to support early discussions, improve internal understanding and enable more informed decision-making when planning energy efficiency investments.

The tool is particularly useful for estates and facilities teams, sustainability and energy managers, as well as property and finance professionals reviewing portfolio performance, refurbishment strategies or potential MEES compliance risks. By clarifying how EPC ratings are determined, it helps organisations approach improvement planning with greater confidence and direction.

“EPC ratings are often viewed as a pass or fail compliance issue,” said Graham Paul, Service Delivery Director, TEAM Energy. “In reality, they reflect a combination of building fabric, services and controls that organisations can influence, but only if they understand how those elements interact. The calculator is designed to support that early understanding, before formal assessments are commissioned.”

Developed by TEAM Energy’s in-house energy consultants, the calculator draws on extensive experience delivering commercial EPC assessments across a wide range of UK non-domestic properties. It offers organisations a practical starting point, helping to reframe EPC ratings from a compliance burden into a clearer pathway for improvement and long term estate planning.