Since the introduction of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), building owners and managers who have a cooling system within their premises with a rated output of 12 kW or more are required, under regulation, to have a TM44 inspection reports carried out by a qualified assessor, in order to receive an up to date air conditioning report.

The regulations for having a current TM44 report for your AC system include definitive deadlines for compliance. With the final deadline having passed on 4th January 2011, if you are a building owner or manager who falls within the categories defined in the EPBD regulations and you have not already had your inspection and TM44 report carried out, then you could face substantial financial penalties in the form of fines for non-compliance.

Air Conditioning Inspection – Benefits for Your Business

Having an inspection carried out by a qualified TM44 inspector is not only a statutory obligation, but it can also have real benefits for your business. These systems can be quite energy-hungry, and if your system is operating inefficiently, your energy bills could be substantially higher than necessary. This means that you could be paying over the odds for your energy consumption – resulting in higher bills and a subsequent effect on your profits.

For a larger building, the cooling system can actually be accountable for anywhere between 30% and 45% of your total energy use. So if your air conditioning system is not operating at maximum efficiency, costs to your business, together with fines that can be levied for non-compliance, could be quite substantial.

Costs to Your Business, Costs to the Planet

Our responsibility to help look after the planet in terms of carbon emissions is becoming ever more highlighted in these modern times. Companies have a corporate and social responsibility and with schemes due to come into force such as the Carbon Reduction Commitment, the need for air conditioning inspections is becoming increasingly important. Without an official report in line with TM44 legislation, your company is at risk of fines, higher energy costs and the bad press that can be associated with non-compliance of important legislation.

To further illustrate the true cost of not meeting the EPBD requirements, let’s look at the worst case scenario that your company could face. First of all, there is a standard £300 charge if you have failed to have your air conditioning system inspected. Additionally, if you are approached by a trading standards officer who requests the production of a valid TM44 air conditioning report and you’re unable to present one within seven days, you face another fine of £200.

For a big business, this may seem like a relatively small amount. However, you also need to take into account that these fines can be implemented for every site that you have. So if you have several business premises that use these systems, you can be fined separately for each one. tm44 inspection

Another factor that you need to consider is that these fines have the potential to be repeated on a daily basis. So if you add up the real potential cost for failure to comply with the air conditioning inspection regulations, it could quite literally amount to thousands of pounds.

If the above information isn’t enough to make you sit up and take notice, then here is another sobering thought for you: a new amendment has been penciled to the air conditioning report legislations – the mandatory lodgement of TM44 reports. So if you don’t have a TM44 report from a qualified inspector, there’s no hiding place. Because all TM44 reports will be inputted onto the CLG government database, Landmark, it will make identification of non-compliant building owners and managers incredibly easy. So if you think you’ve got away without having your air conditioning report carried out, think again, because the net is slowly closing in – arrange an air conditioning inspection today, before it’s too late.