Commercial MEES: EPC Rules
Today and in 2031

What is MEES?

MEES (the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards) is the law that sets the lowest EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) rating a landlord can let a property at. For commercial property in England and Wales that minimum is EPC E, so a building rated F or G can't be let unless it has a registered exemption.

The rules come from the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015. They cover homes as well as commercial buildings, but the two run on different rules and timetables. This page covers commercial (non-domestic) property. For rented homes, see our MEES guide for residential landlords, or start with our overview of the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards.

What's the rule today for commercial property?

You can't let a commercial property rated F or G. Since 1 April 2018 that's applied to new lettings and to lease renewals and extensions, and since 1 April 2023 it's applied to every existing lease as well.

If your building is rated F or G you've got two options: improve it to at least EPC E, or register a valid exemption on the PRS (private rented sector) Exemptions Register. EPC E is the only commercial MEES standard in force right now.

What are the penalties?

Letting an F or G rated commercial building without a valid exemption can cost up to £150,000. Fines are set by the building's rateable value and enforced by local weights and measures authorities (Trading Standards):

• Breach lasting three months or more: up to £10,000 or 20% of the rateable value, whichever is greater, capped at £150,000.
• Breach lasting under three months: up to £5,000 or 10% of the rateable value, whichever is greater, capped at £50,000.
• False or misleading information on the Exemptions Register, or ignoring a compliance notice: up to £5,000.

Each of these can come with a publication penalty, where the authority publishes details of the breach.

What's planned for 2031?

From 2031, privately rented non-domestic buildings over 1,000 m² are expected to need EPC B, where it's cost-effective to get there. That's the position the government set out in its interim response of 18 June 2026. It becomes law once the regulations are made.

• Buildings over 1,000 m²: EPC B from 2031, where cost-effective.
• Buildings under 1,000 m²: stay at the current EPC E minimum.
• The interim EPC C milestone for 2027: dropped.
• Exemptions and the 7-year payback test: stay in place, so only improvements that pay for themselves within seven years are expected to be required.

The government will publish more detail in its full response to the consultations, and the requirement takes legal effect once secondary legislation has passed through Parliament. Some of the detail, such as how the 1,000 m² floor area will be measured, hasn't been published yet.

You may have read elsewhere that every commercial building needs EPC C by 2027 and EPC B by 2030. Those dates came from the 2021 consultation and have been superseded by the June 2026 plan.

If you own a larger building below EPC B, find out now what it will take to get there. Planning early lets you tie improvements in with lease events, refurbishments and plant replacements, and spread the cost.

Does MEES apply to my building?

It applies if you let a non-domestic building in England or Wales that's legally required to have an EPC. If you occupy the building yourself, MEES doesn't apply, because it's a rule about letting.

• Size: the EPC E minimum applies to rented commercial buildings of any size. Only the EPC B standard planned for 2031 is limited to buildings over 1,000 m².
• Lease length: MEES doesn't apply to leases of 99 years or more, or to leases of six months or less (unless the lease can be extended or renewed beyond six months, or the tenant has already been in occupation for more than 12 months).
• Buildings that don't need an EPC: if a building doesn't legally need an EPC, MEES doesn't apply to it. See which buildings don't need an EPC.
• Exemptions: if you can't reach the minimum, you may be able to register an exemption. For commercial property these include the 7-year payback, all improvements made, wall insulation, consent and devaluation exemptions (usually five years each), and a six-month exemption for new landlords. Our MEES exemptions guide explains each one and how to register it.

What if my building is rated below the target?

Find out which improvements will get it to the band you need, and what they'll cost. That's what our commercial MEES advice does.

The recommendation report that comes with every commercial EPC is a general list. It doesn't tell you which combination of measures reaches a particular band. We run improvement modelling on your building's actual EPC model: we test measures one at a time and in combination, and find the cheapest route to your target, whether that's EPC E today or EPC B for 2031. Typical measures include LED lighting with better controls, more efficient heating or a heat pump, insulation and solar panels.

How it works:

1. If we haven't surveyed your building in the last six months, or it's changed since, we visit to collect accurate data for a new SBEM assessment. (SBEM, the Simplified Building Energy Model, is the government calculation behind every commercial EPC.)

2. Our technical team models the improvements and sends you a report setting out the most practical measures and the rating each route achieves.

3. Once the work's done, we come back and issue your improved EPC. If that's within six months of the original survey, we offer a discounted rate.

How much does MEES advice cost?

Commercial MEES advice starts from £49.95+VAT. If we need to survey the building for a new commercial EPC first, that starts from £99.95+VAT.

Our prices are competitive and every property is quoted on its own merits. Send us the details and we'll come back with a firm figure, and the advice that goes with it. If you've got questions about your result afterwards, you can ring us and talk it through with someone who understands it.

Get a quote for commercial MEES advice or get a quote for a commercial EPC.

Frequently asked questions

Is EPC B by 2031 law yet?

Not yet, but it's the government's stated plan. Its interim response of 18 June 2026 set out that privately rented non-domestic buildings over 1,000 square metres are expected to reach EPC B from 2031, where it's cost-effective. The full response and the regulations are still to come, and the requirement takes legal effect once secondary legislation has passed through Parliament. Until then, EPC E is the legal minimum.

Will buildings under 1,000 square metres need EPC B?

No. Under the government's plan, rented non-domestic buildings under 1,000 square metres stay at the existing EPC E minimum.

Is the EPC C by 2027 target still happening?

No. The 2021 consultation proposed EPC C by 2027 and EPC B by 2030 for all rented commercial buildings. The June 2026 interim response dropped the 2027 EPC C milestone and replaced that plan with EPC B from 2031 for buildings over 1,000 square metres only.

Are commercial properties exempt from EPCs?

No. Most commercial buildings need an EPC when they're built, sold or let. A few building types don't need one, such as places of worship and temporary buildings planned to be used for two years or less. If a building doesn't legally need an EPC, MEES doesn't apply to it either.

Does MEES apply if I occupy my own commercial building?

No. MEES is a rule about letting, so it applies to privately rented property. An owner-occupied building isn't caught, although you'll still need an EPC if you sell it or let it.

What's the fine for letting an F or G rated commercial property?

Up to £150,000. The fine is based on the building's rateable value. For a breach lasting three months or more it's up to £10,000 or 20% of the rateable value, whichever is greater, capped at £150,000. For a shorter breach it's up to £5,000 or 10% of the rateable value, whichever is greater, capped at £50,000. The authority can also publish details of the breach.

Will exemptions still be available under the 2031 plan?

Yes. The government has said the existing exemptions and the 7-year payback test will stay, so a landlord is only expected to make improvements that pay for themselves in energy savings within seven years.

How long does a MEES exemption last?

Most MEES exemptions last five years once they're registered on the PRS Exemptions Register. The new landlord exemption lasts six months from the date you became the landlord.

Last reviewed: September 2026. Sources: GOV.UK non-domestic private rented property minimum energy efficiency standard landlord guidance; the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015; DESNZ interim response on non-domestic PRS MEES, 18 June 2026.