East of England
MEES 2031 exposure in Colchester
53 of the 81 industrial and warehouse buildings over 1,000 m² in Colchester with an EPC are rated C to E: 1.4m sq ft (128,612 m²) of floorspace that meets today's E minimum but falls short of the proposed EPC B standard.
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Colchester in figures
EPC register, snapshot 30 Sep 2026
- Rated C to E
- 1.4m sq ft128,612 m² in 53 buildings
- Rated F or G
- 1 building14k sq ft (1,319 m²), below today's E minimum
- Rated A+ to B
- 27 buildingsAlready at the proposed standard
- Share below B
- 67%Of 81 buildings over 1,000 m². England and Wales: 70%
Colchester has the 213th most floorspace rated C to E of 316 local authorities in England and Wales, and the 27th most of 45 in the East of England.
EPC rating mix
Share of buildings over 1,000 m², by latest EPC rating
- Colchester81 buildings33%65%
- East of England4,217 buildings33%64%
- 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 Colchester
Compared with the other 44 local authorities in the East of England and with England and Wales, from the same EPC register snapshot.
- Most of its floorspace rated C to E, 71% or 984k sq ft (91,454 m²), is in 48 buildings of 1,000 to 5,000 m².
- 30 of its 54 buildings rated C to G (56%) have an EPC that has lapsed or is estimated to lapse before 2031, against 54% across England and Wales; 20 have already lapsed.
- 7 of its 25 C-rated buildings (28%) have an asset rating of 51 to 60, within 10 points of band B: 181k sq ft (16,856 m²) of floorspace. Across England and Wales it's 37%.
- More of its buildings are heated mainly by grid electricity (49%) than by gas (42%); across England and Wales gas leads, 53% to 37%.
- In the 12 months to 30 Sep 2026, 16 industrial and warehouse buildings of any size here had an EPC lodged to be let and 8 for a marketed sale, 24 in all: the 19th most of 45 local authorities in the East of England.
- 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 41 of 54 buildings.
Every rating, A+ to G
Colchester's 81 industrial and warehouse buildings over 1,000 m² by latest EPC rating, beside the East of England 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 | East of England | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A+ | 1 | 78k sq ft7,257 m² | 1% | 2% | 2% |
| A | 6 | 236k sq ft21,949 m² | 7% | 12% | 10% |
| B | 20 | 609k sq ft56,592 m² | 25% | 20% | 19% |
| C | 25 | 612k sq ft56,893 m² | 31% | 35% | 36% |
| D | 22 | 669k sq ft62,119 m² | 27% | 22% | 22% |
| E | 6 | 103k sq ft9,600 m² | 7% | 8% | 9% |
| F | 0 | 0 sq ft0 m² | 0% | 1% | 1% |
| G | 1 | 14k sq ft1,319 m² | 1% | 1% | 2% |
Within 10 points of B
Rated C with an asset rating of 51 to 60. Band B ends at 50.
7 buildings
Of 25 rated C (28%), with 181k sq ft (16,856 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 | 73 | 33%24 of 73 | 984k sq ft91,454 m² |
| Over 5,000 to 10,000 m² | 6 | 33%2 of 6 | 283k sq ft26,330 m² |
| Over 10,000 m² | 2 | 50%1 of 2 | 117k sq ft10,828 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 | 21 | 20 | 501k sq ft46,552 m² |
| Rest of 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 sq ft0 m² |
| In 2027 | 1 | 1 | 21k sq ft1,977 m² |
| In 2028 | 4 | 4 | 99k sq ft9,221 m² |
| In 2029 | 3 | 3 | 80k sq ft7,424 m² |
| In 2030 | 2 | 2 | 74k sq ft6,844 m² |
| 2031 or later | 50 | 24 | 623k sq ft57,913 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
- 16buildings
- Marketed sale
- 8buildings
- New build
- 0buildings
- Other reasons
- 0buildings
24 in all: 67% 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) | 43 | 13 | 29 | 1 | 716k sq ft66,509 m² |
| General industrial (B2) | 38 | 14 | 24 | 0 | 668k sq ft62,103 m² |
By main heating fuel
As recorded on each building's latest EPC.
| Main heating fuel | Buildings | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grid supplied electricity | 40 | 49% | 37% |
| Natural gas | 34 | 42% | 53% |
| Biomass | 3 | 4% | 1% |
| Oil | 2 | 2% | 4% |
| Other | 2 | 2% | 4% |
What assessors recommend
The five most common on the latest certificates of its 54 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 41 of 54 buildings (76%)
- 02
Add optimum start/stop to the heating system.
EPC-H7. On 37 of 54 buildings (69%)
- 03
Carry out a pressure test, identify and treat identified air leakage. Enter result in EPC calculation.
EPC-E7. On 33 of 54 buildings (61%)
- 04
Introduce HF (high frequency) ballasts for fluorescent tubes: Reduced number of fittings required.
EPC-L7. On 33 of 54 buildings (61%)
- 05
Some windows have high U-values - consider installing secondary glazing.
EPC-E5. On 32 of 54 buildings (59%)
How Colchester compares
Colchester has 0.1% of the industrial floorspace rated C to E in England and Wales. 67% of its buildings over 1,000 m² are below B, the same as across the East of England, against 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colchester | 81 | 53 | 1.4m sq ft128,612 m² | 1 | 67% |
| East of England | 4,217 | 2,693 | 93.1m sq ft8,647,375 m² | 120 | 67% |
| England and Wales | 38,148 | 25,619 | 1.01bn sq ft94,020,657 m² | 1,037 | 70% |
Nearby in the East of England ranking
| Rank | Local authority | C to E floor area |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | Mid Suffolk | 1.5m sq ft137,440 m² |
| 26 | Epping Forest | 1.4m sq ft128,717 m² |
| 27 | Colchester | 1.4m sq ft128,612 m² |
| 28 | St Albans | 1.3m sq ft124,250 m² |
| 29 | Stevenage | 1.3m sq ft123,287 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
Colchester has 53 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
1 building in Colchester is rated F or G. If let, it already needs 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
30 of Colchester'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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