Are you ready for phase two of non-domestic minimum energy efficiency standards? That’s the question all commercial landlords should be asking themselves, and why Murton & Co have created our free three-minute Non-Domestic MEES Compliance Quiz to provide the answer.

Our scorecard aims to help landlords stay ahead of MEES legislation and competitors, unlock new value and future-proof their assets by incorporating both the current MEES threshold (EPC band E) and the potential future threshold (EPC band B from 2031). After filling in the quiz, they’ll get a tailored report with personalised score using a traffic light system to show where they’re at on their compliance journey, while highlighting at-risk assets, helping them take a costed, phased approach.

There’s so much confusion and misinformation around energy standards, compounded by the government’s failure to provide a deadline for commercial properties to reach band B.

It means many commercial landlords struggle to understand exactly what’s needed to achieve compliance, especially in older, complex or mixed-use properties, while guidance can be vague, and EPC recommendations are often generic or incomplete.

There’s a growing preference among tenants and investors for energy-efficient buildings, driven by sustainability goals and operational cost savings. Banks and institutional lenders are increasingly factoring EPC ratings into loan conditions and refinancing decisions, especially for assets with weaker performance. Even now, if landlords can’t show a plan to achieve EPC B or better, they risk lower valuations, higher insurance premiums and reduced refinancing options. Going beyond compliance, getting to a B doesn’t necessarily improve energy bills; if you put in a heat pump, that can raise running costs for the tenant so you might also need to do solar PV to offset the rise in the cost of bills.

While the business case for energy efficiency is clear, many landlords face significant practical and financial challenges around making energy efficient upgrades to comply with non-domestic MEES. Without detailed modelling around the actual cost of upgrades versus the benefits, it can be hard to justify investment, especially when returns depend on future rent reviews or lease renewals.

The scorecard identifies which of the four categories – MEES Regulations & Legal Compliance, Financial Implications, Asset Value & Market Competitiveness, Investment & Occupier Appeal – needs the most urgent attention. Depending on their responses, it recommends actions including immediate upgrades and quick wins as well as general guidance on exemption advice, information about Energy Assessors and useful software. It also provides prompts to conduct a Cost-Benefit Analysis to compare the upfront costs of energy efficiency improvements against the projected increase in property value and income.

This isn’t just another checklist, it’s a practical, jargon-free way to assess risk and avoid regulatory bottlenecks for anyone with just one property or an entire portfolio. It’s not a big sell either, as we suggest landlords shouldn’t spend anything until they know the potential outcome of energy efficiency improvements. This initiative also aims to raise awareness and ultimately raise the bar across the sector.

As EPC regulations tighten and properties that fail to meet targets risk becoming stranded and losing market appeal for tenants and investors, or are subject to restricted lending opportunities and expensive last-minute retrofits, you can’t wait until band B becomes mandatory. Use our quiz as a starting point and a reality check – and then come to us for help!