Non-compliance with air conditioning inspections and F-Gas Regulations is costing both business and the environment warns CIBSE which this week launched a campaign calling on government to take action.
Rates of compliance of air conditioning inspections is at less than 5%. For Display Energy Certificates it is 80% and for Energy Performance Certificates it is 70-75%.

CIBSE says trading standards has done little to improve this low rate of compliance and is calling on the government to take the responsibility for enforcement away from Trading Standards.

CIBSE (The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers) has launched a four month campaign to bring this to the attention of government.

Speaking on April 20 at NEMEX 2010, the day of the launch, CIBSE president elect Rob Manning said: 'The non-compliance costs campaign aims to bring together the many voices of frustration and concern to form one united call for action. We need to raise the issue of non-compliance up the government agenda and promote the benefits of increasing compliance rates'.

The campaign encourages individuals to sign up to support its Compliance Charter. The charter details the costs of non-compliance and lays out three steps which are needed to improve air conditioning inspection compliance rates.

The compliance charter

1 - The UK government must acknowledge that air conditioning inspection compliance is not working and must move the responsibility for enforcement away from Trading Standards to a body which is more interested and able to act.

2 - The government must set targets for air conditioning and F-Gas compliance that the enforcing body agree are achievable and sign up to.

3 - The government must increase communication with UK companies informing them of their obligations to comply with air conditioning inspection and F-Gas legislation.

To sign up to the campaign click here