New energy performance rules set for commercial buildings

Industry bodies, including the British Council for Offices, have welcomed government proposals to raise minimum energy performance standards for non-domestic buildings, with tighter EPC thresholds and mandatory disclosure likely to take effect over the next two to three years. The regulations are designed to drive retrofit investment and push landlords and occupiers toward net-zero aligned building operation, affecting offices, warehouses, depots, and mixed-use sites.

Facilities management companies and service businesses that operate out of leased commercial premises should expect landlords to accelerate energy audits, LED retrofits, and HVAC upgrades—costs that may flow through to service charges. For fleet operators, depot energy consumption will come under closer scrutiny, particularly where EV charging infrastructure adds to base load. Companies running large vehicle pools from commercial sites need to map building performance alongside transport emissions to avoid compliance gaps or unexpected capital calls.

Now is the time to audit your estate, identify buildings at risk of falling below the new EPC floor, and model the cost of remediation versus relocation. If you plan to install charge points at a depot or head office, integrate that demand into your landlord conversations early; grid capacity, sub-metering, and capital contribution clauses can become contentious if left to lease renewal. Fleet electrification and building decarbonisation are two parts of the same balance sheet.

Bluepoppy helps service and FM businesses join up fleet strategy with property and energy planning, so your EV transition doesn't collide with landlord upgrade timelines or unbudgeted infrastructure spend. A Fleet Cost Review can quantify charge-point requirements, identify depot risks, and keep your transition on track. Talk to the team to make sure your fleet roadmap and your buildings work in sync.

Bluepoppy view: Tighter building energy rules mean depot charging plans and landlord conversations need to happen now, not at lease renewal.

Source: FMJ — summarised and written from a Bluepoppy perspective. We don’t reproduce the original article.