What Your EPC Isn’t Telling You About Your Building

What Your EPC Isn’t Telling You About Your Building

One of the persistent frustrations we hear in our work is the overreliance on Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) as the go-to benchmark for building energy performance.

But here's the reality: an EPC offers a snapshot — not a story.

Following a recent conversation with an EPC expert, it’s clear that while regulations have shifted to focus more on building fabric, many buildings are still seeing little to no improvement in their EPC ratings. And that’s because EPCs aren’t designed to reflect how a building is actually operating today.

Accreditations like NABERS UK, BREEAM In-Use, Fitwel, WELL and WiredScore are useful benchmarks — but again, they’re largely time-bound. They reflect a moment in a building’s lifecycle, not the dynamic nature of how space is used over time.

Let’s say a tenant moves in — the way that space performs can change dramatically based on use, occupancy, tech stack, and operational habits. The building may have achieved a strong EPC or BREEAM rating at construction — but does that still hold true now?

What EPCs don’t tell you:

Actual energy demand

Real-time carbon intensity

Whether the building is being optimised in practice, not just in theory

This is exactly why there are now more than 100+ energy management platforms on the market — and why the UK FM industry is worth over £50bn. There’s a huge performance gap between design intent and operational reality.

So, what should landlords and asset managers be asking?

What systems are in my building today?

Is there an energy or building management system in place?

Do I have live access to air quality, occupancy and energy data?What insights can I act on now to reduce emissions and costs?

At Trustek, we help asset managers and landlords move beyond compliance to clarity. Our audits and advisory services focus on what’s really in your building — not just what’s on the certificate.

Talk to us about your building. Or explore how our Verified Marketplace can help you find the right tools for energy and performance optimisation.