Section 63 Scotland Advisors
Approved Section 63 Advisor services for non-domestic buildings in Scotland at sale or new lease.
What it is
Section 63 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 applies to non-domestic buildings over 1,000m² at the point of sale or grant of a new lease. Owners must commission an assessment and either implement recommended measures or defer through a compliant action plan.
Who needs it
Owners, vendors, and landlords of non-domestic buildings in Scotland over 1,000m² built before 2002, or with no post-2002 building warrant for major works.
When it's required
At the point of sale or grant of a new lease. Assessments should be commissioned early in the transaction process to avoid delaying completion.
What we provide
- [01]Section 63 Action Plan by an approved Advisor
- [02]Deferral route via Operational Rating and DEC where appropriate
- [03]3.5-year implementation programme
- [04]Lodgement with the Scottish register
Related services
DECs
Operational Rating DECs for public buildings and Section 63 deferral in Scotland.
02MEES Advice
Portfolio-wide MEES risk analysis and a compliance pathway to EPC B by 2030.
03Commercial EPCs
Level 3, 4 and 5 non-domestic Energy Performance Certificates, with an enhanced EPC+ option for portfolio strategy.
How this compares
Side-by-side breakdowns of the standards and routes most often confused with this service.
Common questions
[01]Who are Section 63 Advisors in Scotland?+
Braithwaite Energy operates as an approved Section 63 Advisor across Scotland, delivering Action Plans and deferral routes for commercial buildings over 1,000m² at sale or new lease.
[02]What triggers Section 63?+
Sale or grant of a new lease on a non-domestic building in Scotland over 1,000m² built before 2002, or without a post-2002 building warrant for major works.
[03]What is a Section 63 Action Plan?+
In Scotland, owners of non-domestic buildings over 1,000m² must produce an energy performance Action Plan when selling or letting, unless the building meets 2002 building standards or better. The Action Plan identifies the building's emissions and sets out the physical improvement works required, which must then be carried out within 3.5 years or deferred by annual operational ratings.
[04]How does Braithwaite Energy help with Section 63 compliance?+
Our Section 63 Advisors assess the building's energy performance, produce the Action Plan identifying the improvement works required, and lodge it on the Scottish EPC Register. We then advise on whether to implement the works or to defer through the annual operational rating route, based on which is commercially sensible for the asset.
[05]Do MEES rules apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?+
MEES as drafted applies to England and Wales only. Scotland regulates non-domestic energy performance principally through Section 63 Action Plans and its own building standards, while Northern Ireland operates its own EPC regime under separate legislation, so a UK-wide portfolio needs three parallel compliance tracks.
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Same team on services design and compliance modelling. UK-wide, from London and York.