South West
MEES 2031 exposure in Dorset
123 of the 173 industrial and warehouse buildings over 1,000 m² in Dorset with an EPC are rated C to E: 3.0m sq ft (278,928 m²) of floorspace that meets today's E minimum but falls short of the proposed EPC B standard.
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Dorset in figures
EPC register, snapshot 30 Sep 2026
- Rated C to E
- 3.0m sq ft278,928 m² in 123 buildings
- Rated F or G
- 4 buildings102k sq ft (9,504 m²), below today's E minimum
- Rated A+ to B
- 46 buildingsAlready at the proposed standard
- Share below B
- 73%Of 173 buildings over 1,000 m². England and Wales: 70%
Dorset has the 112th most floorspace rated C to E of 316 local authorities in England and Wales, and the 8th most of 26 in the South West.
EPC rating mix
Share of buildings over 1,000 m², by latest EPC rating
- Dorset173 buildings27%71%
- South West3,252 buildings30%67%
- 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 Dorset
Compared with the other 25 local authorities in the South West and with England and Wales, from the same EPC register snapshot.
- Most of its floorspace rated C to E, 81% or 2.4m sq ft (225,345 m²), is in 115 buildings of 1,000 to 5,000 m².
- 76 of its 127 buildings rated C to G (60%) have an EPC that has lapsed or is estimated to lapse before 2031, against 54% across England and Wales; 32 have already lapsed.
- 22 of its 64 C-rated buildings (34%) have an asset rating of 51 to 60, within 10 points of band B: 572k sq ft (53,158 m²) of floorspace. Across England and Wales it's 37%.
- Its storage and distribution buildings are likelier to meet B (32%) than its general industrial ones (22%).
- In the 12 months to 30 Sep 2026, 83 industrial and warehouse buildings of any size here had an EPC lodged to be let and 59 for a marketed sale, 142 in all: the most of any local authority in the South West.
- The recommendation lodged most often on its certificates rated C to G is “Add optimum start/stop to the heating system” (EPC-H7), on 88 of 127 buildings.
Every rating, A+ to G
Dorset's 173 industrial and warehouse buildings over 1,000 m² by latest EPC rating, beside the South 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 | South West | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A+ | 1 | 38k sq ft3,567 m² | 1% | 1% | 2% |
| A | 20 | 454k sq ft42,214 m² | 12% | 9% | 10% |
| B | 25 | 712k sq ft66,184 m² | 14% | 20% | 19% |
| C | 64 | 1.6m sq ft145,441 m² | 37% | 36% | 36% |
| D | 46 | 1.2m sq ft108,180 m² | 27% | 23% | 22% |
| E | 13 | 272k sq ft25,307 m² | 8% | 8% | 9% |
| F | 1 | 20k sq ft1,884 m² | 1% | 1% | 1% |
| G | 3 | 82k sq ft7,620 m² | 2% | 2% | 2% |
Within 10 points of B
Rated C with an asset rating of 51 to 60. Band B ends at 50.
22 buildings
Of 64 rated C (34%), with 572k sq ft (53,158 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 | 161 | 26%42 of 161 | 2.4m sq ft225,345 m² |
| Over 5,000 to 10,000 m² | 12 | 33%4 of 12 | 577k sq ft53,583 m² |
| Over 10,000 m² | 0 | –0 of 0 | 0 sq ft0 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 | 37 | 32 | 880k sq ft81,764 m² |
| Rest of 2026 | 2 | 2 | 33k sq ft3,092 m² |
| In 2027 | 6 | 5 | 97k sq ft8,997 m² |
| In 2028 | 19 | 17 | 419k sq ft38,896 m² |
| In 2029 | 12 | 8 | 216k sq ft20,084 m² |
| In 2030 | 15 | 12 | 234k sq ft21,749 m² |
| 2031 or later | 82 | 51 | 1.2m sq ft113,850 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
- 83buildings
- Marketed sale
- 59buildings
- New build
- 11buildings
- Other reasons
- 1building
154 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) | 85 | 27 | 56 | 2 | 1.3m sq ft121,253 m² |
| General industrial (B2) | 88 | 19 | 67 | 2 | 1.7m sq ft157,675 m² |
By main heating fuel
As recorded on each building's latest EPC.
| Main heating fuel | Buildings | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 89 | 51% | 53% |
| Grid supplied electricity | 58 | 34% | 37% |
| Oil | 13 | 8% | 4% |
| Other | 8 | 5% | 4% |
| LPG | 3 | 2% | 1% |
| Biomass | 2 | 1% | 1% |
What assessors recommend
The five most common on the latest certificates of its 127 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 88 of 127 buildings (69%)
- 02
Consider replacing T8 lamps with retrofit T5 conversion kit.
EPC-L5. On 87 of 127 buildings (69%)
- 03
Introduce HF (high frequency) ballasts for fluorescent tubes: Reduced number of fittings required.
EPC-L7. On 77 of 127 buildings (61%)
- 04
Add weather compensation controls to heating system.
EPC-H8. On 76 of 127 buildings (60%)
- 05
Consider installing building mounted wind turbine(s).
EPC-R2. On 72 of 127 buildings (57%)
How Dorset compares
Dorset has 0.3% of the industrial floorspace rated C to E in England and Wales. 73% of its buildings over 1,000 m² are below B, against 70% across the South 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorset | 173 | 123 | 3.0m sq ft278,928 m² | 4 | 73% |
| South West | 3,252 | 2,176 | 75.5m sq ft7,013,022 m² | 95 | 70% |
| England and Wales | 38,148 | 25,619 | 1.01bn sq ft94,020,657 m² | 1,037 | 70% |
Nearby in the South West ranking
| Rank | Local authority | C to E floor area |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | 3.9m sq ft366,781 m² |
| 7 | Tewkesbury | 3.4m sq ft320,443 m² |
| 8 | Dorset | 3.0m sq ft278,928 m² |
| 9 | Cornwall | 3.0m sq ft277,192 m² |
| 10 | North Somerset | 2.6m sq ft241,754 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
Dorset has 123 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
4 buildings in Dorset 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
76 of Dorset'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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