黑洞社区

These shortcomings have been exposed by the introduction on October 1 of legislation requiring all public buildings over 1000m2 to display a certificate showing their energy efficiency.

Rather like the performance ratings on fridges, display energy certificate (DECs) rate a building鈥檚 energy efficiency on a sliding scale from A to G, with A the most energy efficient and G the worst.

The Home Office鈥檚 building at 2 Marsham Street, completed in 2005, only managed an F-grade operational rating. Parliament鈥檚 new office building, Portcullis House, completed in 2002 was awarded a G 鈥� the lowest possible.

Other government buildings are taking advantage of a get-out that provides a three-month window before the occupiers face a fine. No DEC certificate was on display in the Crown Prosecution鈥檚 head office at 50 Ludgate Hill, London. A spokesperson for the service said the office was still waiting to be assessed 鈥渂ecause there is a shortage of assessors鈥�. She added: 鈥淭he deadline for DECs has been extended so we鈥檙e aiming for a 4 January 2009 deadline鈥�.

It was a similar story for the Welsh Assembly building. 鈥淲e haven鈥檛 got a DEC. There is a delay in the accreditation team still being trained or recruited, whatever,鈥� said its spokesperson.

The Department of Communities and Local Government鈥檚 Eland House has been open for 10 years, yet it only managed an F despite reducing its gas use by 37% and electricity use by 22% last year. The department is using the advisory report provided with the DEC to develop an energy efficiency action plan to improve its rating.

A spokesperson said: 鈥淥ur rating at Eland House tells us we must clearly do better to make a difference to our energy performance.鈥�

Some of the carbon reduction measures planned include improved air-conditioning, introduction of automated meter readings and voltage optimisation.

The spokesperson added: 鈥淭hese types of activity should take Eland House up to an E rating and towards a target D operation rating.鈥�