How to Improve a Commercial EPC Rating: Electrical Upgrades That Make a Difference

The most effective electrical-led ways to improve a commercial EPC rating are usually LED lighting upgrades, better lighting controls, smarter heating and cooling controls, improved metering, solar PV readiness and making sure the building’s electrical infrastructure can support future low-carbon upgrades such as heat pumps.

For landlords, facilities teams and business owners, improving an EPC rating is not just about one quick fix. It is about understanding how the building uses energy, where electrical systems are inefficient and which upgrades will make the biggest practical difference.

Search interest around solar panels, heat pumps, EPC ratings and smart thermostats continues to show that businesses and property owners are actively looking for ways to improve building energy performance. For Azure Electrical Ltd, the strongest opportunity is helping commercial clients understand the electrical side of that improvement plan.

Azure supports businesses with electrical services, electrical installation, statutory compliance, mechanical services and building services support that can help make commercial premises safer, more efficient and easier to manage.

This guide explains how electrical upgrades can support a better EPC rating and what commercial property teams should prioritise before spending money.

What Is a Commercial EPC Rating?

An Energy Performance Certificate, or EPC, rates how energy efficient a building is. For business premises, GOV.UK explains that an EPC gives a rating from A to G, with A being the most efficient and G being the least efficient.

You can read the official GOV.UK guidance here: Energy Performance Certificates for your business premises.

For commercial landlords, EPC ratings matter because non-domestic private rented properties in England and Wales generally need to meet minimum energy efficiency standards before they can be let, unless a valid exemption applies.

The relevant GOV.UK guidance is here: Non-domestic private rented property minimum energy efficiency standard: landlord guidance.

For businesses occupying a property, EPC performance can also affect running costs, comfort, future upgrade planning and landlord discussions.

Why EPC Improvement Is Becoming a Bigger Priority

Commercial buildings are under growing pressure to become more energy efficient.

The reasons are clear:

• Energy costs remain a major business concern

• Landlords need to understand minimum energy efficiency standards

• Occupiers want more comfortable and efficient workplaces

• Building services are becoming more connected

• Older lighting and controls can waste energy

• Solar panels and heat pumps are becoming more common considerations

• Businesses are expected to plan for lower-carbon operation

The UK Government has also published Approved Document L 2026, which supports the energy-efficiency requirements of the Building Regulations for buildings subject to the 2026 standards.

For property managers, this means EPC improvement should not be treated as a last-minute compliance exercise. It should be part of a planned building improvement strategy.

Can Electrical Upgrades Improve an EPC Rating?

Yes, electrical upgrades can help improve a commercial EPC rating, especially when they reduce energy demand or improve control of building services.

The most relevant electrical-led improvements often include:

• LED lighting upgrades

• Lighting controls and occupancy sensors

• Smart thermostats and improved HVAC controls

• Better zoning of heating, cooling and lighting

• Solar PV readiness

• Electrical capacity reviews for heat pumps

• Sub-metering and energy monitoring

• Upgrades to inefficient or outdated electrical systems

• Better control panels for mechanical plant

However, not every EPC improvement is electrical. Some upgrades may involve building fabric, insulation, windows, glazing, heating plant or wider mechanical systems.

The best approach is to review the EPC recommendations, assess the building and then decide which measures are commercially realistic.

1. Upgrade to LED Lighting

Lighting is often one of the quickest electrical upgrades for commercial buildings.

Older fluorescent, halogen or inefficient fittings can use more energy than necessary and may also require more maintenance. LED lighting can reduce energy use, improve visibility and make the building easier to maintain.

A good LED upgrade should consider:

• The type of space

• Existing lighting levels

• Staff comfort

• Emergency lighting integration

• Colour temperature

• Controls and zoning

• Maintenance access

• Out-of-hours installation planning

• Whether existing wiring or distribution needs alteration

For offices, schools, pubs, clubs and commercial units, lighting should be designed around how the building is actually used.

Azure’s electrical installation service can support lighting upgrades, new circuits, power alterations and commercial electrical improvements.

For education settings, Azure has also covered this topic in more detail in LED lighting upgrades for schools.

2. Add Lighting Controls and Occupancy Sensors

LED lighting is useful, but the biggest improvement often comes when lighting is controlled properly.

Many commercial buildings waste energy because lights stay on in empty rooms, corridors, store areas, toilets, kitchens, plant rooms or meeting spaces.

Lighting controls can include:

• Occupancy sensors

• Absence detection

• Daylight dimming

• Timed controls

• Zoning

• Scene control for meeting rooms or venues

• Automatic switching for low-use spaces

For offices and hospitality venues, controls can reduce unnecessary energy use without relying on staff to switch everything off manually.

For commercial landlords, better lighting controls can form part of a wider EPC improvement plan, especially where the existing building still relies on manual switching and outdated fittings.

Azure supports office and corporate sites, clubs and pubs, where lighting and controls can have a direct impact on comfort, energy use and customer experience.

3. Review Smart Thermostats and Heating Controls

Search interest around smart thermostats is smaller than solar panels or heat pumps, but it is a much more achievable and relevant long-tail topic for many commercial buildings.

A smart thermostat or improved control system can help reduce waste where heating or cooling is being used at the wrong times or in the wrong areas.

For commercial sites, the issue is not always the thermostat itself. It is the wider control strategy.

Facilities teams should ask:

• Are heating and cooling schedules correct?

• Are systems running outside occupied hours?

• Are different zones controlled separately?

• Are staff overriding controls too often?

• Are meeting rooms, offices and shared areas controlled properly?

• Are heating and cooling systems fighting each other?

• Are controls still suitable after layout changes?

Where systems rely on panels, sensors, timers or linked controls, Azure’s control panel services and mechanical services can help review how the building services are being controlled.

4. Check Electrical Capacity Before Installing Heat Pumps

Heat pumps are one of the major search-interest areas around energy efficiency, but for commercial properties they should not be treated as a simple plug-in upgrade.

Before a heat pump project moves forward, the site needs to understand whether the electrical infrastructure can support the additional load.

This may involve reviewing:

• Existing supply capacity

• Distribution boards

• Cable routes

• Protective devices

• Earthing arrangements

• Local isolation

• Load profiles

• Space for future expansion

• Interaction with other building services

• Control requirements

For many commercial properties, the electrical preparation is just as important as the heat pump unit itself.

Azure’s electrical services, electrical installation and mechanical services can help commercial clients understand whether existing systems are ready for future building upgrades.

5. Plan for Solar Panels Without Jumping Straight to Installation

Solar panels are one of the highest-interest search terms in the data, but the best article opportunity for Azure is not to compete directly with every solar installer in the UK.

The better commercial angle is solar readiness.

Before a commercial building invests in solar PV, the site may need to understand:

• Existing electrical infrastructure

• Distribution board capacity

• Cable routes

• Metering arrangements

• Roof access and plant constraints

• Future battery storage plans

• Electrical isolation requirements

• How solar generation will interact with building demand

• Whether the site also plans EV charging or heat pump upgrades

Solar PV can form part of an EPC improvement strategy, but the electrical infrastructure needs to be assessed properly before decisions are made.

For businesses also considering EV charging, Azure’s guide to EV charging infrastructure and electrical capacity covers similar principles around load demand, capacity and future planning.

6. Use Better Metering and Energy Monitoring

You cannot improve what you cannot see.

Many businesses know their energy bills are high, but they do not know where the energy is being used.

Better metering and monitoring can help identify:

• High-use areas

• Out-of-hours energy waste

• Inefficient plant operation

• Lighting left on unnecessarily

• Equipment using energy when the building is empty

• Seasonal demand patterns

• Changes after upgrades

For multi-tenant buildings, sub-metering can also help landlords and managing agents understand usage more clearly.

Energy monitoring does not automatically improve an EPC rating by itself, but it gives decision-makers better evidence for the upgrades that do.

7. Coordinate Electrical and Mechanical Services

EPC improvement is rarely only an electrical issue.

Mechanical systems such as heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration and controls often play a major role in energy performance.

That means electrical and mechanical planning should work together.

For example:

• Air conditioning may need better controls

• Ventilation may need servicing or scheduling changes

• Heating controls may need reviewing

• Refrigeration may need reliable electrical support

• Heat pumps may require electrical upgrades

• Control panels may affect system efficiency

• Lighting upgrades may reduce heat load in some spaces

Azure provides both electrical services and mechanical services, including ventilation, air conditioning, heating, control panels and refrigeration and cold rooms.

This joined-up approach helps facilities teams avoid treating every system as a separate problem.

8. Do Not Ignore Electrical Compliance While Improving EPC Performance

Energy efficiency upgrades should never compromise safety or compliance.

Commercial electrical work should be designed, installed, inspected and tested properly. Azure Electrical Ltd references BS 7671 as a major standard when carrying out electrical work, alongside other relevant regulations, manufacturer guidance and site-specific requirements.

The IET provides current information on BS 7671 here: Staying up to date with BS 7671.

Azure has also written a dedicated article on BS 7671 Amendment 4 and what businesses need to know.

When energy upgrades involve new circuits, distribution changes, controls or equipment supplies, the work should be planned and documented correctly.

This is where Azure’s statutory compliance and electrical remedial work services can support commercial clients.

9. Use the EPC Recommendations as a Starting Point

An EPC usually includes recommendations for improving the building’s rating.

However, not every recommendation will be equally practical, affordable or disruptive.

Facilities teams should review:

• Which recommendations are electrical

• Which relate to heating, cooling or controls

• Which require building fabric works

• Which need landlord approval

• Which can be completed with minimal disruption

• Which may need design input

• Which depend on future plans for the building

• Which can be grouped into planned maintenance or refurbishment works

For example, it may make sense to combine LED lighting upgrades with emergency lighting reviews, control changes or other electrical remedial works.

Azure’s article on compliance calendars for property managers can help businesses organise these works across the year instead of dealing with everything reactively.

10. Prioritise Quick Wins Before Major Capital Projects

Solar panels, heat pumps and larger energy upgrades can be valuable, but they are not always the first step.

Many commercial buildings should begin with lower-disruption electrical and controls improvements.

Quick wins may include:

• Replacing inefficient lighting

• Adding occupancy sensors

• Reviewing heating and cooling schedules

• Fixing faulty controls

• Improving zoning

• Repairing damaged or inefficient fittings

• Reviewing out-of-hours energy use

• Checking ventilation and air conditioning settings

• Updating old control panels

• Planning future electrical capacity

These improvements may be easier to approve, easier to phase and less disruptive than a large project.

Once the quick wins are complete, the business can make better decisions about larger upgrades such as solar PV, heat pumps or wider refurbishment.