The government has extended the deadline for Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) in the commercial sector to 4 January 2009, unless the building is sold or rented beforehand.

The deadline was originally 1 October 2008.

A government spokesperson said: “The October deadline does apply for domestic properties, sales and rentals, although we are giving people a reasonable amount of time to get their EPCs.

“Properties already on the market without an EPC did not all suddenly need to get one overnight between 30 September and 1 October. They do need to have one from 1 October, but they have until January to get it.”

The spokesperson also refuted the idea that the extension was due to a lack of assessors.