The position in Preston
There are 2,881 unique commercial properties in Preston with a certificate on the Energy Performance of Buildings Register. Of those, 2,288 – 79.4% – are rated below EPC B, which is 3.3 percentage points worse 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 Preston, Lancashire, Fulwood, Ashton-On-Ribble, Preston, Lancashire, Presron. Average floor area is 658 m² and the average asset rating is 77.
653 certificates in the district have expired (22.7% of the total), of which 114 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+ | 3 | 0.1% | -0.2 | |
| A | 123 | 4.3% | +0.2 | |
| B | 467 | 16.2% | -3.3 | |
| C | 952 | 33.0% | -0.2 | |
| D | 767 | 26.6% | +0.9 | |
| E | 428 | 14.9% | +2.0 | |
| F | 63 | 2.2% | +0.3 | |
| G | 78 | 2.7% | +0.2 |
Commercial stock by sector
| Sector | Properties | Share | Share, shown as a bar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail & financial services | 1,112 | 38.6% | |
| Offices & workshops | 741 | 25.7% | |
| Restaurants, cafes & pubs | 315 | 10.9% | |
| Storage & distribution | 229 | 7.9% | |
| General & special industrial | 89 | 3.1% | |
| Hospitals & care homes | 76 | 2.6% | |
| Primary healthcare | 62 | 2.2% | |
| Assembly & leisure | 52 | 1.8% |
Floor area – who the 2031 standard catches
The 2031 EPC B standard is expected to apply only to buildings over 1,000 m². In Preston that line falls here:
| Floor area | Properties | Share | Share, shown as a bar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 250 m² | 1,532 | 53.2% | |
| 250–500 m² | 561 | 19.5% | |
| 500–1,000 m² | 352 | 12.2% | |
| 1,000–2,500 m² | 290 | 10.1% | |
| 2,500–10,000 m² | 131 | 4.5% | |
| Over 10,000 m² | 15 | 0.5% |
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For editors and journalists
Quote – attributable to evenEco
Please attribute to evenEco and link to evenhub.uk/commercial/areas/preston/. 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 – Preston
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Commercial properties analysed | 2,881 |
| Below EPC B | 2,288 (79.4%) |
| Below EPC E – unlettable without exemption | 141 (4.9%) |
| Over 1,000 m² and below EPC B | 274 |
| Expired certificates | 653 (22.7%) |
| Average floor area | 658 m² |
| National rank (share below EPC B) | 89 of 319 |
Common questions
How many commercial properties in Preston are below EPC B?
2,288 of 2,881 – 79.4% of the commercial stock on the register. That is 3.3 percentage points worse than the England and Wales average of 76.1%.
How many buildings in Preston are caught by the 2031 EPC B standard?
274 commercial buildings in Preston 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 Preston are already unlettable?
141 are rated F or G. Letting those without a registered exemption has been unlawful since 1 April 2023. A further 114 have an expired certificate that was rated F or G.
Where does Preston rank nationally?
89 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
Hinckley and Bosworth
79.5% below EPC B · 1,861 properties
See the data →South Ribble
79.5% below EPC B · 1,761 properties
See the data →Gateshead
79.4% below EPC B · 3,741 properties
See the data →Babergh
79.2% below EPC B · 1,514 properties
See the data →Cheshire East
79.1% below EPC B · 6,694 properties
See the data →Havering
79.1% below EPC B · 3,332 properties
See the data →