The Deputy Minister of Electricity and Energy, Samantha Graham-Maré, has announced that over 7 000 public and private buildings have registered for an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).
An EPC is a certificate that indicates how much energy is being used to operate a building, which is indicated through a performance scale of A-G, with A indicating a building is most energy efficient and G being least energy efficient.
The requirement of having an EPC will play a key role in greenhouse gas emissions reduction, which is a key requirement to improve energy efficiency and saving costs.
As part of the Department of Electricity and Energy’s (DEE) and South African Energy Development Institute’s (Sanedi) priority to drive energy efficiency in South Africa, organisations have until 7 December 2025 to register for the certificate.
“With only five months left before registrations close, large building owners need to prioritise this. We aim to reach 60 000 registrations by the closing date. I am working with the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Mcpherson, and will also be working with Premiers and Mayors to ensure that this issue gets immediate attention.
“There is an opportunity for all South Africans to play a vital role in reducing carbon emissions and benefit from the programme,” said the Deputy Minister.
Since its launch in December 2020 until 21 July 2025, a total of 7 113 buildings have registered, and 3 884 EPCs have been issued.
“I urge all building owners, both public and private, to adopt and implement alternative and energy-saving methods. We need to be creative and innovative so that we save on energy.
“Some practical ways to do this include installing LED (Light Emitting Diode) bulbs and smart geysers, fitting solar panels, and turning off appliances when they are not in use. I encourage anyone to engage my department about the programme and how they can implement this initiative,” Graham-Maré said.
The purpose of EPCs:
- Indicates the energy performance of a building,
- Serve as regulatory tools/instruments targeting inefficient buildings, encouraging transformation towards energy-efficient buildings,
- Are indicators for building owners to note and change their consumption patterns to benefit financially and comply with regulations, and
- In the long term, they promote the reduction of Greenhouse gas emissions through the implementation of energy efficiency interventions using reliable data from existing EPCs. - SAnews.gov.za
