“Time is running out, but we can help you.” That in a nutshell is Remote Metering Solutions (RMS) EPC Inspection Body’s message to the thousands of property owners that haven’t yet taken any measures to obtain energy performance certificates (EPCs) for their buildings.
An EPC is a certificate that shows the energy performance of a building as a rating from A to G, with A being the most efficient and G the least efficient rating. Property owners who fail to obtain and display an EPC (and submit a certified copy of the EPC to SANEDI) before the 7 December 2022 deadline, will be in contravention of the National Energy Act. Contraventions of the Act can be penalised with up to five years imprisonment, a fine of up to R5-million, or both.
Frikkie Malan, head of the Remote Metering Solutions (RMS) EPC Inspection Body, says since the deadline is a reality with no announcement yet from the regulator regarding an extension of the deadline, property owners are advised to start the certification process as soon as possible.
“The process is not complicated and is something with which the EPC Bureau can help. I am grateful to say that we are the market leaders when it comes to the EPC certification process.
We have certified a significant portion (more than 60%) of all the buildings that have so far received EPCs. Our team has the capacity to certify a large number of buildings every month. We have completed the certification of several large property portfolios in the last few months. The experience that we have gained by virtue of working with so many different property groups is invaluable as it gave us the opportunity to fine-tune our business processes. The deep technical energy performance certification experience gained by our senior team members is exceptional, with each of our project managers having been involved in more than 100 certifications.”
He says he and his team are in the fortunate position to have the backing of RMS, the largest privately-owned South African utilities network management organisation. “RMS’s support enabled me to hand-pick a team of engineers and other specialists for the RMS EPC Inspection Body. We have designed and implemented a solid quality management system as required for our SANAS accreditation. The quality management system is complemented by a well-oiled operational and business process. Another reason why the RMS EPC Inspection Body managed to engage so many clients is the effective public relations, marketing and awareness campaign that we launched in 2021.”
Frikkie says he and his team pride themselves in their agility and how fast they respond to enquiries. “Property owners that want to comply with the EPC Regulations want a fast response from an inspection body, especially now that the deadline is looming. Our tried and tested sales process enables us to quickly respond to requests for quotes – our aim is to provide a property owner with a quote on the same business day that we receive the request.”
“Feedback from clients that we have helped to achieve compliance with the EPC regulations shows that they experienced our end-to-end EPC certification service as world class, in part because we try to make the certification process as easy on the client as possible, but mostly because we deliver on our promises.”
He says the RMS energy performance certification process has well defined milestones “Our specialists guide the property owner through the process. What is needed for a start, is the correct information such as the name of the property owner, the building type, building location, the occupancy type, the number of floors, the floor area, the number of basement floors and the floor area of the building or buildings.”
To this end, he points out that privately owned buildings with a net floor area greater than 2 000 m2 that belong to the occupancy classes listed in the regulations, must obtain an EPC. Buildings owned, operated, or occupied by an organ of state, has a minimum net floor area threshold of 1 000 m2.” By most estimates the number of buildings that meet these criteria is likely to be somewhere between 200 000 and 300 000.
He cautions that it is mandatory for the property owner to collaborate with a SANAS accredited EPC inspection body such as RMS as only an accredited inspection body can issue an EPC. “Be careful when it comes to price and quality. Going for the cheapest quote might cost you more at the end of the day. You need a service provider with the right skills, experience and proven ability to deliver. Most importantly, it should also be one who is willing to be held accountable. RMS ticks all those boxes.”
In conclusion, Frikkie points out that an EPC should not be seen as a grudge expense merely to achieve compliance. Rather, an EPC assists property owners in identifying new opportunities to improve the energy performance of their buildings. In most instances the implementation of such opportunities will yield a very attractive Return on Investment (ROI) to the owner.
“Undertaking the certification process will put the spotlight on ways to improve the energy efficiency of a building. Most buildings present numerous opportunities for reduction in its energy footprint, without the need to sacrifice the comfort, working conditions, or safety of the building’s occupants.”
