North East
MEES 2031 exposure in Sunderland
137 of the 194 industrial and warehouse buildings over 1,000 m² in Sunderland with an EPC are rated C to E: 7.3m sq ft (679,923 m²) of floorspace that meets today's E minimum but falls short of the proposed EPC B standard.
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Sunderland in figures
EPC register, snapshot 30 Sep 2026
- Rated C to E
- 7.3m sq ft679,923 m² in 137 buildings
- Rated F or G
- 9 buildings572k sq ft (53,097 m²), below today's E minimum
- Rated A+ to B
- 48 buildingsAlready at the proposed standard
- Share below B
- 75%Of 194 buildings over 1,000 m². England and Wales: 70%
Sunderland has the 29th most floorspace rated C to E of 316 local authorities in England and Wales, and the 2nd most of 12 in the North East.
EPC rating mix
Share of buildings over 1,000 m², by latest EPC rating
- Sunderland194 buildings25%71%
- 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 Sunderland
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: 29% in buildings of 1,000 to 5,000 m², 23% in buildings of 5,000 to 10,000 m², 48% in buildings over 10,000 m².
- 81 of its 146 buildings rated C to G (55%) have an EPC that has lapsed or is estimated to lapse before 2031, against 54% across England and Wales; 38 have already lapsed.
- 30 of its 68 C-rated buildings (44%) have an asset rating of 51 to 60, within 10 points of band B: 2.1m sq ft (195,103 m²) of floorspace. Across England and Wales it's 37%.
- Its storage and distribution buildings are likelier to meet B (31%) than its general industrial ones (19%).
- In the 12 months to 30 Sep 2026, 41 industrial and warehouse buildings of any size here had an EPC lodged to be let and 6 for a marketed sale, 47 in all: the 3rd most of 12 local authorities in the North East.
- The recommendation lodged most often on its certificates rated C to G is “Consider installing solar water heating” (EPC-R3), on 100 of 146 buildings.
Every rating, A+ to G
Sunderland's 194 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+ | 7 | 383k sq ft35,559 m² | 4% | 1% | 2% |
| A | 10 | 668k sq ft62,040 m² | 5% | 6% | 10% |
| B | 31 | 2.7m sq ft248,464 m² | 16% | 19% | 19% |
| C | 68 | 4.3m sq ft395,370 m² | 35% | 39% | 36% |
| D | 47 | 2.2m sq ft206,635 m² | 24% | 23% | 22% |
| E | 22 | 839k sq ft77,918 m² | 11% | 9% | 9% |
| F | 5 | 403k sq ft37,399 m² | 3% | 2% | 1% |
| G | 4 | 169k sq ft15,698 m² | 2% | 2% | 2% |
Within 10 points of B
Rated C with an asset rating of 51 to 60. Band B ends at 50.
30 buildings
Of 68 rated C (44%), with 2.1m sq ft (195,103 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 | 137 | 21%29 of 137 | 2.1m sq ft198,868 m² |
| Over 5,000 to 10,000 m² | 35 | 34%12 of 35 | 1.7m sq ft157,638 m² |
| Over 10,000 m² | 22 | 32%7 of 22 | 3.5m sq ft323,417 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 | 41 | 38 | 2.8m sq ft261,265 m² |
| Rest of 2026 | 1 | 0 | 0 sq ft0 m² |
| In 2027 | 19 | 19 | 801k sq ft74,411 m² |
| In 2028 | 5 | 4 | 111k sq ft10,302 m² |
| In 2029 | 8 | 7 | 397k sq ft36,887 m² |
| In 2030 | 14 | 13 | 290k sq ft26,954 m² |
| 2031 or later | 106 | 65 | 3.5m sq ft323,201 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
- 41buildings
- Marketed sale
- 6buildings
- New build
- 0buildings
- Other reasons
- 5buildings
52 in all: 79% 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) | 94 | 29 | 57 | 8 | 2.8m sq ft257,674 m² |
| General industrial (B2) | 100 | 19 | 80 | 1 | 4.5m sq ft422,249 m² |
By main heating fuel
As recorded on each building's latest EPC.
| Main heating fuel | Buildings | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 121 | 62% | 53% |
| Grid supplied electricity | 54 | 28% | 37% |
| Other | 15 | 8% | 4% |
| Oil | 3 | 2% | 4% |
| Biomass | 1 | 1% | 1% |
What assessors recommend
The five most common on the latest certificates of its 146 buildings rated C to G, in the register's wording. A recommendation is the assessor's, not a requirement.
- 01
Consider installing solar water heating.
EPC-R3. On 100 of 146 buildings (68%)
- 02
Consider replacing T8 lamps with retrofit T5 conversion kit.
EPC-L5. On 93 of 146 buildings (64%)
- 03
Carry out a pressure test, identify and treat identified air leakage. Enter result in EPC calculation.
EPC-E7. On 91 of 146 buildings (62%)
- 04
Some windows have high U-values - consider installing secondary glazing.
EPC-E5. On 88 of 146 buildings (60%)
- 05
Add weather compensation controls to heating system.
EPC-H8. On 87 of 146 buildings (60%)
How Sunderland compares
Sunderland 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, the same as across the North East, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunderland | 194 | 137 | 7.3m sq ft679,923 m² | 9 | 75% |
| 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
Sunderland has 137 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
9 buildings in Sunderland 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
81 of Sunderland'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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