North West
MEES 2031 exposure in Bolton
155 of the 217 industrial and warehouse buildings over 1,000 m² in Bolton with an EPC are rated C to E: 7.1m sq ft (655,539 m²) of floorspace that meets today's E minimum but falls short of the proposed EPC B standard.
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Bolton in figures
EPC register, snapshot 30 Sep 2026
- Rated C to E
- 7.1m sq ft655,539 m² in 155 buildings
- Rated F or G
- 7 buildings256k sq ft (23,819 m²), below today's E minimum
- Rated A+ to B
- 55 buildingsAlready at the proposed standard
- Share below B
- 75%Of 217 buildings over 1,000 m². England and Wales: 70%
Bolton has the 32nd most floorspace rated C to E of 316 local authorities in England and Wales, and the 8th most of 35 in the North West.
EPC rating mix
Share of buildings over 1,000 m², by latest EPC rating
- Bolton217 buildings25%71%
- North West5,313 buildings28%69%
- England and Wales38,148 buildings30%67%
Latest certificate per building from the government's EPC register, snapshot 30 Sep 2026. Industrial and warehouse uses (B2 and B8), floor area over 1,000 m² as declared on the EPC; 1 m² is 10.7639 sq ft. How we count it
What stands out in Bolton
Compared with the other 34 local authorities in the North West and with England and Wales, from the same EPC register snapshot.
- Its floorspace rated C to E is spread across sizes: 45% in buildings of 1,000 to 5,000 m², 8% in buildings of 5,000 to 10,000 m², 47% in buildings over 10,000 m².
- Its largest buildings are likelier to meet B: 43% of the 30 over 10,000 m² are rated B or better, against 20% of those of 1,000 to 5,000 m².
- 82 of its 162 buildings rated C to G (51%) have an EPC that has lapsed or is estimated to lapse before 2031, against 54% across England and Wales; 29 have already lapsed.
- 26 of its 75 C-rated buildings (35%) have an asset rating of 51 to 60, within 10 points of band B: 1.5m sq ft (140,575 m²) of floorspace. Across England and Wales it's 37%.
- Its storage and distribution buildings are likelier to meet B (37%) than its general industrial ones (10%).
- Gas is the main heating fuel in 64% of its buildings, against 53% across England and Wales.
- In the 12 months to 30 Sep 2026, 47 industrial and warehouse buildings of any size here had an EPC lodged to be let and 18 for a marketed sale, 65 in all: the 9th most of 35 local authorities in the North West.
- The recommendation lodged most often on its certificates rated C to G is “Consider replacing T8 lamps with retrofit T5 conversion kit” (EPC-L5), on 110 of 162 buildings.
Every rating, A+ to G
Bolton's 217 industrial and warehouse buildings over 1,000 m² by latest EPC rating, beside the North West and the whole of England and Wales.
By latest EPC rating
Share is of buildings over 1,000 m² in each area.
| Rating | Buildings | Floor area | Share | North West | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A+ | 4 | 423k sq ft39,311 m² | 2% | 1% | 2% |
| A | 22 | 3.0m sq ft279,697 m² | 10% | 9% | 10% |
| B | 29 | 2.3m sq ft212,753 m² | 13% | 18% | 19% |
| C | 75 | 3.4m sq ft320,004 m² | 35% | 37% | 36% |
| D | 53 | 2.8m sq ft261,300 m² | 24% | 22% | 22% |
| E | 27 | 799k sq ft74,235 m² | 12% | 10% | 9% |
| F | 3 | 56k sq ft5,188 m² | 1% | 1% | 1% |
| G | 4 | 201k sq ft18,631 m² | 2% | 2% | 2% |
Within 10 points of B
Rated C with an asset rating of 51 to 60. Band B ends at 50.
26 buildings
Of 75 rated C (35%), with 1.5m sq ft (140,575 m²) of floorspace. England and Wales: 37% of C-rated buildings.
By building size
Floor area as declared on the EPC.
| Floor area | Buildings | Rated B or better | C to E floor area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Over 1,000 to 5,000 m² | 172 | 20%34 of 172 | 3.2m sq ft294,660 m² |
| Over 5,000 to 10,000 m² | 15 | 53%8 of 15 | 567k sq ft52,642 m² |
| Over 10,000 m² | 30 | 43%13 of 30 | 3.3m sq ft308,237 m² |
Certificates and lettings
An EPC lasts 10 years, and a valid one is needed to let or sell. We estimate expiry as the lodgement date plus 10 years.
When the certificates lapse
Buildings over 1,000 m², by when their latest EPC lapses, at 30 Sep 2026.
| EPC lapses | All buildings | Rated C to G | C to G floor area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Already lapsed | 32 | 29 | 1.9m sq ft177,511 m² |
| Rest of 2026 | 7 | 5 | 91k sq ft8,444 m² |
| In 2027 | 21 | 14 | 746k sq ft69,315 m² |
| In 2028 | 14 | 9 | 195k sq ft18,157 m² |
| In 2029 | 15 | 15 | 554k sq ft51,487 m² |
| In 2030 | 11 | 10 | 290k sq ft26,920 m² |
| 2031 or later | 117 | 80 | 3.5m sq ft327,524 m² |
New EPCs in the last year
Industrial and warehouse buildings of any size whose latest EPC was lodged in the 12 months to 30 Sep 2026, by the reason on the certificate.
- To let
- 47buildings
- Marketed sale
- 18buildings
- New build
- 2buildings
- Other reasons
- 7buildings
74 in all: 64% to let, against 56% across England and Wales. How the daily feed works
Uses, heating and recommendations
What the buildings are used for, how they're heated, and what assessors recommended on the certificates of those rated C to G.
By use
Use from the EPC's property type.
| Use | Buildings | B or better | C to E | F or G | C to E floor area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Storage and distribution (B8) | 121 | 45 | 73 | 3 | 3.9m sq ft365,961 m² |
| General industrial (B2) | 96 | 10 | 82 | 4 | 3.1m sq ft289,578 m² |
By main heating fuel
As recorded on each building's latest EPC.
| Main heating fuel | Buildings | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 139 | 64% | 53% |
| Grid supplied electricity | 63 | 29% | 37% |
| Other | 8 | 4% | 4% |
| Oil | 4 | 2% | 4% |
| Biomass | 2 | 1% | 1% |
| LPG | 1 | 0% | 1% |
What assessors recommend
The five most common on the latest certificates of its 162 buildings rated C to G, in the register's wording. A recommendation is the assessor's, not a requirement.
- 01
Consider replacing T8 lamps with retrofit T5 conversion kit.
EPC-L5. On 110 of 162 buildings (68%)
- 02
Add optimum start/stop to the heating system.
EPC-H7. On 108 of 162 buildings (67%)
- 03
Add weather compensation controls to heating system.
EPC-H8. On 99 of 162 buildings (61%)
- 04
Consider installing solar water heating.
EPC-R3. On 98 of 162 buildings (60%)
- 05
Some windows have high U-values - consider installing secondary glazing.
EPC-E5. On 95 of 162 buildings (59%)
How Bolton compares
Bolton has 0.7% of the industrial floorspace rated C to E in England and Wales. 75% of its buildings over 1,000 m² are below B, against 72% across the North West and 70% nationally.
Against the region and the country
| Area | Over 1,000 m² | Rated C to E | C to E floor area | Rated F or G | Share below B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bolton | 217 | 155 | 7.1m sq ft655,539 m² | 7 | 75% |
| North West | 5,313 | 3,674 | 160.1m sq ft14,878,125 m² | 163 | 72% |
| England and Wales | 38,148 | 25,619 | 1.01bn sq ft94,020,657 m² | 1,037 | 70% |
Nearby in the North West ranking
| Rank | Local authority | C to E floor area |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Trafford | 7.3m sq ft682,511 m² |
| 7 | Wigan | 7.1m sq ft659,526 m² |
| 8 | Bolton | 7.1m sq ft655,539 m² |
| 9 | Cheshire East | 6.8m sq ft632,945 m² |
| 10 | Salford | 6.3m sq ft589,587 m² |
What the 2031 proposal means
In June 2026 the government said it intends that privately rented non-domestic buildings over 1,000 m² reach EPC B from 2031, where cost effective. It needs secondary legislation, so for now it's a proposal, not law. What the proposal means
C to E: fine today, short of B
Bolton has 155 buildings over 1,000 m² rated C to E. They meet today's E minimum, but would fall short of B if the proposal becomes law while they're let.F or G: below the minimum already
7 buildings in Bolton are rated F or G. If let, they already need an improvement or a registered exemption under today's rules.Where cost effective, and only when let
The 7-year payback test and the exemptions remain. Owner-occupied buildings are counted too, as an EPC can't say whether a building is let. Local weights and measures authorities enforce the rules. MEES in plain EnglishRatings change at renewal
82 of Bolton's buildings rated C to G have an EPC that has lapsed or is estimated to lapse before 2031. Each needs a new certificate before it's let or sold, and the new rating may differ.
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