Austin Energy Services

Energy Consultants

Display Energy Certificates (DEC’s) Public Authorities

Public Authorities

The EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive requires Energy Performance
Certificates (EPC's) for all buildings, including those occupied by public authorities.

Display Energy Certificates (DEC's) are required for all public buildings over 1,000m.sq. DEC's are another type of energy certificate, but they are calculated in a completely different way to commercial or domestic energy certificates. The DEC measures the actual energy use of the building by looking at energy bills over a twelve month period. As a result DEC's must be re calculated every year.

Although DEC’s are compulsory for some public buildings, they can be commissioned for any public or commercial premises.

DEC’s can be particularly useful for businesses to help show their “Green Credentials” by displaying their actual energy consumption in graphical form.

This can then be used to help and involve staff and visitors to appreciate the amount of energy used and develop a change in their habits, thus reducing energy consumption and ultimately, saving money.

Like commercial and domestic energy certificates they also have a colour coded energy rating chart. Unlike other energy certificates the DEC displays the previous three years energy use. The idea is that the public can see if the occupants are improving their behaviour or not. The DEC itself should be displayed in a 'prominent part of the building' clearly visible to the public.

The DEC is accompanied by an Advisory Report that lists cost effective measures to improve the energy rating of a building. These advisory reports do not need to be displayed however you should be able to make them available on request. Once complete, an advisory report is valid for seven years.