Shoppers could soon see how much energy brands waste

The public may soon be able to see how green their favourite shops really are following pressure from the British Property Federation (BPF), which represents landlords.

The government today committed to consult on the introduction of display energy certificates (DECs) which show the energy use of shops and offices. Responding to the Committee on Climate Change's First Progress Report, ministers said that DECs should be rolled out to give everyone a better understanding of carbon emissions.

It is significant because a DEC is based on actual energy use, meaning that even if a top brand occupied a state of the art, A-rated green building, if it wasted heat by leaving he doors open or left the lights on all night, it would get a poor rating. The BPF has said that mandatory DECs would help to focus both owners and occupiers on efficient use of the building, which could save around a third of energy bills.

Currently, such certificates are only required for public buildings over a certain size.

Patrick Brown, assistant director for sustainability said: ‘The BPF has long been campaigning for a roll-out of display energy certificates and today's announcement is very welcome. It is vital that we motivate both owners and occupiers to use buildings effectively. Building up energy performance data on buildings would allow us to easily benchmark and compare properties and would also give the public a greater insight into how well their own offices or chosen retailers are performing."