DECs standing for Display Energy Certificates were thought to assess the energy consumption of a building accompanied by a report which include advice on how to improve the efficiency of the dwelling . It must also be renewed each year by an accredited assessor who will use the software approved by the government.
In 2011, the government decided that all of the commercial buildings would have to have DECs by October 2012 but with the intervention of the chancellor George Osborne the motion has been abandoned at the end of 2012. Instead, it was announced that they will only have to display an energy performance certificates (EPC). The latter does not give an overview of the performance of the building but how much energy it must consume. In addition, a significant gap between an EPC and a DEC can be found.
The application of DECs could help save on energy bills but also on the reduction of carbon emissions of up to 40% over three years and 80% by 2050. Hence the campaign of Building’s Green For Growth is trying to call the government to reinstate the plan for the DECs on all the commercial property.