North East
MEES 2031 exposure in County Durham
300 of the 412 industrial and warehouse buildings over 1,000 m² in County Durham with an EPC are rated C to E: 13.2m sq ft (1,229,282 m²) of floorspace that meets today's E minimum but falls short of the proposed EPC B standard.
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County Durham in figures
EPC register, snapshot 30 Sep 2026
- Rated C to E
- 13.2m sq ft1,229,282 m² in 300 buildings
- Rated F or G
- 14 buildings536k sq ft (49,776 m²), below today's E minimum
- Rated A+ to B
- 98 buildingsAlready at the proposed standard
- Share below B
- 76%Of 412 buildings over 1,000 m². England and Wales: 70%
County Durham has the 7th most floorspace rated C to E of 316 local authorities in England and Wales, and the most of 12 in the North East.
EPC rating mix
Share of buildings over 1,000 m², by latest EPC rating
- County Durham412 buildings24%73%
- North East1,710 buildings25%71%
- 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 County Durham
Compared with the other 11 local authorities in the North East and with England and Wales, from the same EPC register snapshot.
- Its floorspace rated C to E is spread across sizes: 44% in buildings of 1,000 to 5,000 m², 23% in buildings of 5,000 to 10,000 m², 33% in buildings over 10,000 m².
- 160 of its 314 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; 76 have already lapsed.
- 59 of its 159 C-rated buildings (37%) have an asset rating of 51 to 60, within 10 points of band B: 2.4m sq ft (219,800 m²) of floorspace. Across England and Wales it's 37%.
- General industrial (B2) makes up 54% of its buildings over 1,000 m², against 42% across England and Wales.
- In the 12 months to 30 Sep 2026, 67 industrial and warehouse buildings of any size here had an EPC lodged to be let and 36 for a marketed sale, 103 in all: the most of any local authority in the North East.
- The recommendation lodged most often on its certificates rated C to G is “Add optimum start/stop to the heating system” (EPC-H7), on 219 of 314 buildings.
Every rating, A+ to G
County Durham's 412 industrial and warehouse buildings over 1,000 m² by latest EPC rating, beside the North East 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 East | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A+ | 0 | 0 sq ft0 m² | 0% | 1% | 2% |
| A | 27 | 1.5m sq ft137,723 m² | 7% | 6% | 10% |
| B | 71 | 4.0m sq ft371,957 m² | 17% | 19% | 19% |
| C | 159 | 6.9m sq ft636,987 m² | 39% | 39% | 36% |
| D | 106 | 4.4m sq ft407,803 m² | 26% | 23% | 22% |
| E | 35 | 2.0m sq ft184,492 m² | 8% | 9% | 9% |
| F | 6 | 297k sq ft27,589 m² | 1% | 2% | 1% |
| G | 8 | 239k sq ft22,187 m² | 2% | 2% | 2% |
Within 10 points of B
Rated C with an asset rating of 51 to 60. Band B ends at 50.
59 buildings
Of 159 rated C (37%), with 2.4m sq ft (219,800 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 | 320 | 23%73 of 320 | 5.9m sq ft544,134 m² |
| Over 5,000 to 10,000 m² | 56 | 25%14 of 56 | 3.1m sq ft284,243 m² |
| Over 10,000 m² | 36 | 31%11 of 36 | 4.3m sq ft400,905 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 | 82 | 76 | 4.1m sq ft382,331 m² |
| Rest of 2026 | 2 | 1 | 11k sq ft1,001 m² |
| In 2027 | 28 | 27 | 942k sq ft87,486 m² |
| In 2028 | 23 | 22 | 785k sq ft72,950 m² |
| In 2029 | 23 | 21 | 850k sq ft78,974 m² |
| In 2030 | 23 | 13 | 450k sq ft41,787 m² |
| 2031 or later | 231 | 154 | 6.6m sq ft614,529 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
- 67buildings
- Marketed sale
- 36buildings
- New build
- 4buildings
- Other reasons
- 17buildings
124 in all: 54% 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) | 191 | 57 | 126 | 8 | 5.1m sq ft476,736 m² |
| General industrial (B2) | 221 | 41 | 174 | 6 | 8.1m sq ft752,546 m² |
By main heating fuel
As recorded on each building's latest EPC.
| Main heating fuel | Buildings | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 244 | 59% | 53% |
| Grid supplied electricity | 123 | 30% | 37% |
| Other | 33 | 8% | 4% |
| Oil | 6 | 1% | 4% |
| Biomass | 3 | 1% | 1% |
| LPG | 3 | 1% | 1% |
What assessors recommend
The five most common on the latest certificates of its 314 buildings rated C to G, in the register's wording. A recommendation is the assessor's, not a requirement.
- 01
Add optimum start/stop to the heating system.
EPC-H7. On 219 of 314 buildings (70%)
- 02
Consider replacing T8 lamps with retrofit T5 conversion kit.
EPC-L5. On 196 of 314 buildings (62%)
- 03
Consider installing building mounted wind turbine(s).
EPC-R2. On 190 of 314 buildings (61%)
- 04
Add weather compensation controls to heating system.
EPC-H8. On 180 of 314 buildings (57%)
- 05
Consider installing solar water heating.
EPC-R3. On 177 of 314 buildings (56%)
How County Durham compares
County Durham has 1.3% of the industrial floorspace rated C to E in England and Wales. 76% of its buildings over 1,000 m² are below B, against 75% across the North East 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County Durham | 412 | 300 | 13.2m sq ft1,229,282 m² | 14 | 76% |
| North East | 1,710 | 1,213 | 47.8m sq ft4,439,776 m² | 63 | 75% |
| England and Wales | 38,148 | 25,619 | 1.01bn sq ft94,020,657 m² | 1,037 | 70% |
Nearby in the North East ranking
| Rank | Local authority | C to E floor area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | County Durham | 13.2m sq ft1,229,282 m² |
| 2 | Sunderland | 7.3m sq ft679,923 m² |
| 3 | Gateshead | 5.9m sq ft546,626 m² |
| 4 | Stockton-on-Tees | 3.7m sq ft342,641 m² |
| 5 | Northumberland | 3.6m sq ft338,578 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
County Durham has 300 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
14 buildings in County Durham 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
160 of County Durham'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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