The position in New Forest
There are 3,127 unique commercial properties in New Forest with a certificate on the Energy Performance of Buildings Register. Of those, 2,334 – 74.6% – are rated below EPC B, which is 1.5 percentage points better than the England and Wales average of 76.1%.
The largest category locally is retail & financial services, and the postal towns and districts most represented are Southampton, Ringwood, Lymington, New Milton, Fordingbridge. Average floor area is 377 m² and the average asset rating is 71.
632 certificates in the district have expired (20.2% of the total), of which 75 were rated F or G when issued – the least comfortable position on the register, and the one owners are least likely to know about.
Key figures
Band distribution
| Band | Properties | Share | Share, shown as a bar | vs England & Wales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A+ | 13 | 0.4% | +0.1 | |
| A | 154 | 4.9% | +0.8 | |
| B | 626 | 20.0% | +0.5 | |
| C | 1,159 | 37.1% | +3.9 | |
| D | 757 | 24.2% | -1.5 | |
| E | 313 | 10.0% | -2.9 | |
| F | 46 | 1.5% | -0.4 | |
| G | 59 | 1.9% | -0.6 |
Commercial stock by sector
| Sector | Properties | Share | Share, shown as a bar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail & financial services | 1,064 | 34.0% | |
| Offices & workshops | 857 | 27.4% | |
| Restaurants, cafes & pubs | 318 | 10.2% | |
| Storage & distribution | 304 | 9.7% | |
| General & special industrial | 163 | 5.2% | |
| Hospitals & care homes | 91 | 2.9% | |
| Hotels | 77 | 2.5% | |
| Education | 59 | 1.9% |
Floor area – who the 2031 standard catches
The 2031 EPC B standard is expected to apply only to buildings over 1,000 m². In New Forest that line falls here:
| Floor area | Properties | Share | Share, shown as a bar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 250 m² | 2,061 | 65.9% | |
| 250–500 m² | 516 | 16.5% | |
| 500–1,000 m² | 313 | 10.0% | |
| 1,000–2,500 m² | 178 | 5.7% | |
| 2,500–10,000 m² | 55 | 1.8% | |
| Over 10,000 m² | 4 | 0.1% |
Find your building in New Forest
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For editors and journalists
Quote – attributable to evenEco
Please attribute to evenEco and link to evenhub.uk/commercial/areas/new-forest/. Figures derived from the GOV.UK Energy Performance of Buildings Register, deduplicated to the most recent certificate per property. Media enquiries: contact us.
Shareable summary – New Forest
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Commercial properties analysed | 3,127 |
| Below EPC B | 2,334 (74.6%) |
| Below EPC E – unlettable without exemption | 105 (3.4%) |
| Over 1,000 m² and below EPC B | 155 |
| Expired certificates | 632 (20.2%) |
| Average floor area | 377 m² |
| National rank (share below EPC B) | 223 of 319 |
Common questions
How many commercial properties in New Forest are below EPC B?
2,334 of 3,127 – 74.6% of the commercial stock on the register. That is 1.5 percentage points better than the England and Wales average of 76.1%.
How many buildings in New Forest are caught by the 2031 EPC B standard?
155 commercial buildings in New Forest are over 1,000 m² and currently rated below EPC B, which is the cohort the 2031 standard is aimed at.
How many commercial buildings in New Forest are already unlettable?
105 are rated F or G. Letting those without a registered exemption has been unlawful since 1 April 2023. A further 75 have an expired certificate that was rated F or G.
Where does New Forest rank nationally?
223 of 319 local authorities, ranked by the share of commercial stock below EPC B, with rank 1 being the highest share.
Local authorities with a similar profile
Bexley
74.7% below EPC B · 3,218 properties
See the data →Peterborough
74.7% below EPC B · 3,512 properties
See the data →St Albans
74.6% below EPC B · 2,205 properties
See the data →Rochford
74.6% below EPC B · 1,213 properties
See the data →Spelthorne
74.6% below EPC B · 1,366 properties
See the data →Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
74.5% below EPC B · 7,294 properties
See the data →