The position in offices & workshops
Offices carry the most 2031 exposure by floor area, because the category contains most of the buildings over 1,000 m². They are also the buildings most likely to hold usable evidence – air permeability tests, commissioning records and lighting schedules – which makes them the category where re-assessment on evidence most often moves the rating.
The classic office profile is a 1980s or 1990s building with replaced lighting, an original or once-replaced heating system, and an EPC produced without any of the refurbishment paperwork.
This category accounts for 26.0% of all commercial certificates on the register. 18,887 properties are rated F or G – below the minimum that has applied to lettings since April 2023 – and 12,520 have an expired certificate that was rated F or G when issued.
The largest concentrations are in Westminster, Birmingham, Leeds, Camden, North Yorkshire, Cornwall.
Key figures
Band distribution
| Band | Properties | Share | Share, shown as a bar | vs England & Wales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A+ | 617 | 0.2% | -0.1 | |
| A | 10,098 | 3.9% | -0.2 | |
| B | 37,719 | 14.5% | -5.0 | |
| C | 69,470 | 26.8% | -6.4 | |
| D | 74,538 | 28.7% | +3.0 | |
| E | 48,267 | 18.6% | +5.7 | |
| F | 7,341 | 2.8% | +0.9 | |
| G | 11,546 | 4.4% | +1.9 |
Floor area profile
| Floor area | Properties | Share | Share, shown as a bar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 250 m² | 148,200 | 57.1% | |
| 250–500 m² | 51,762 | 19.9% | |
| 500–1,000 m² | 29,831 | 11.5% | |
| 1,000–2,500 m² | 18,618 | 7.2% | |
| 2,500–10,000 m² | 9,418 | 3.6% | |
| Over 10,000 m² | 1,767 | 0.7% |
Find the certificate you already have
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Common questions
How many offices & workshops properties are below EPC B?
211,162 of 259,596 – 81.3%, which is 5.2 percentage points worse than the 76.1% average across all commercial property.
How many offices & workshops buildings face the 2031 EPC B standard?
21,038 are over 1,000 m² and currently below EPC B.
What is the average size of a offices & workshops property?
633 m² on the certificates lodged for this category.
Other sectors
Retail & financial services
76.8% below EPC B · 347,446 properties
See the data →Restaurants, cafes & pubs
75.0% below EPC B · 121,133 properties
See the data →Storage & distribution
73.4% below EPC B · 81,732 properties
See the data →General & special industrial
81.9% below EPC B · 58,372 properties
See the data →Education
55.7% below EPC B · 21,420 properties
See the data →Hospitals & care homes
53.8% below EPC B · 20,625 properties
See the data →