With Schwank achieve the EPC rating you need, reduce carbon, and provide the most effective heating for your building.
Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) are now central to the decisions landlords, consultants, and building owners make about heating their properties — but it’s important to understand where they apply.
An EPC is legally required when:
- a new building is constructed,
- an existing building is sold, or
- a building (or part of it) is rented out or leased.
If you own or operate a building solely for your own business use and are not selling or leasing it, you do not need an EPC.
For landlords, developers, and consultants, however, EPCs are critical. With the UK’s Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) already requiring an EPC rating of E or above — and proposals to tighten to C by 2027 and B by 2030 — heating decisions now have a direct impact not only on comfort and running cost, but also on compliance, asset value, and marketability.
At Schwank, we support the intent behind EPCs. They play an important role in driving decarbonisation across the built environment and encouraging landlords and developers to act. However, it’s also important to recognise that EPCs are ultimately a modelling tool, not a perfect measure of total building efficiency. In some cases, they can favour technologies that look good on paper while missing the bigger picture of real-world energy use and cost efficiency.
Speak to our team to explore what’s possible for your site: sales@schwank.co.uk
EPCs and the role of heating systems
An EPC rates a building on its modelled energy efficiency. For non-domestic properties, the rating is calculated using SBEM (Simplified Building Energy Model). One of the biggest shifts in recent years is how fuels are treated in these calculations:
- Electricity now carries a much lower carbon factor than before, reflecting the decarbonisation of the UK grid.
- Natural gas has a relatively high carbon factor, meaning gas systems often score less favourably in EPCs, even when they are extremely efficient in practice.
This has led many landlords to rethink their heating choices — sometimes with the unintended consequence of overlooking technologies that can deliver lower actual consumption in large, complex spaces.
The challenge of large open spaces
For warehouses, factories, logistics centres, or sports halls, heating is a major energy cost. The choice of system matters not just for compliance, but also for occupant comfort and operational efficiency.
- Heat pumps: Widely promoted as the go-to solution for EPC improvement, heat pumps work well in office or residential settings. But in large open industrial spaces, they are less effective. That’s because heat pumps (like warm air systems) heat air volume. In high-ceiling buildings with significant air changes, much of that heat is lost.
- Radiant heating: By contrast, infrared radiant heating warms people, objects, and surfaces directly, not the surrounding air. This makes it far more effective in large, draughty, or high-ceiling spaces where air heating is inefficient.
This is where EPC modelling and real-world performance can diverge: a radiant system may consume less energy overall, even if the EPC model doesn’t fully capture those savings.
Why electric radiant heating is a game-changer
With Schwank’s industrial-scale electric infrared radiant heaters, you no longer have to choose between EPC compliance and the proven performance of radiant heating.
- EPC advantage: As electrically powered systems, they benefit from the lower electricity carbon factor in SBEM/EPC calculations, helping landlords and developers meet the required rating.
- Application advantage: They deliver the same direct, comfortable, and efficient heating that radiant technology has always been known for, optimised for large open spaces.
- Operational benefit: Simple to install, low maintenance, and backed by Schwank’s long-standing expertise in industrial heating solutions.
The gas penalty – and why hybrid matters
Gas radiant heaters remain one of the most cost-effective and energy-efficient ways to heat large industrial buildings, with Schwank products achieving seasonal efficiencies between 90% and 99%. However, EPC methodology applies a “carbon penalty” to natural gas, meaning buildings heated solely by gas may find it harder to achieve higher EPC ratings in future.
That’s why Schwank also offers hybrid solutions:
- Gas radiant + heat pump
- Gas radiant + electric radiant
These combinations enable customers to retain the advantages of radiant heating, reduce carbon impact, and at the same time improve EPC scores by blending low-carbon technologies.
And crucially, Schwank’s latest gas radiant heaters are hydrogen-ready, giving clients a clear pathway to zero-carbon fuels as hydrogen infrastructure develops.
A balanced view on compliance and performance
At Schwank, we take a balanced position. EPCs are valuable because they drive the industry toward higher standards and align with government decarbonisation goals. But they are not the whole story. True sustainability means selecting the right technology for the right application — achieving not just a modelled rating, but genuine reductions in energy use, carbon, and running cost.
That is where our design engineers and consultants work in partnership with customers. By understanding both the regulatory framework and the real operational needs of a building, we help select and design the optimal mix of technologies.
Why choose Schwank?
For over 90 years, Schwank has been a pioneer in radiant heating technology. Today, we are uniquely positioned to help customers navigate the EPC and decarbonisation challenge by offering:
- Gas radiant heaters with industry-leading seasonal efficiencies and hydrogen-ready capability.
- Electric radiant heaters that align with EPC scoring and deliver outstanding performance in large open spaces.
- Hybrid solutions that combine the strengths of multiple technologies to deliver comfort, efficiency, and compliance.
We don’t just sell equipment — we partner with landlords, consultants, and end-users to design, supply, install, and service heating systems that meet today’s needs while preparing for tomorrow’s requirements.
Conclusion
EPCs are reshaping the way heating decisions are made. They are a positive driver of change, but when used in isolation they risk overlooking solutions that deliver the best real-world outcomes.
With Schwank’s portfolio of electric, gas, and hybrid radiant heating solutions, you don’t have to compromise. We’ll help you achieve the EPC rating you need, reduce carbon, and provide the most effective heating for your building.
Ready to explore how Schwank can help you meet EPC requirements without compromising on performance?
Contact us today to discuss electric, gas, and hybrid radiant heating solutions tailored to your building.
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