Senior industry figures have sent an open letter to David Cameron and other senior ministers calling for the compulsory introduction of Display Energy Certificates which provide an A-G energy efficiency rating for buildings.

The certificates are currently mandatory for public sector buildings, but are not compulsory in the private sector. Non-domestic buildings currently account for up to 17% of the UK’s carbon emissions.

The letter has been signed by leaders including Lend Lease CEO Dan Labbad and Stanhope director Peter Rogers.

Paul King, Chief Executive of the UK Green Building Council, said: “It’s very simple – if you don’t know how much energy you are using, you can’t manage it.

“We’ve simply no idea how our buildings up and down the country are actually performing, so mandatory A-G ratings are the crucial first step in helping businesses understand and reduce their energy use.

“The Prime Minister signed up to this in the Carbon Plan in March, and the Energy Bill is the obvious place to put down the necessary legislation.

“Government needs to listen to the property industry – this is something that will cut carbon, cut energy bills and create new market opportunities in green technologies.”

Liz Peace, Chief Executive of the British Property Federation, said: “Savings of between 5 and 30 per cent can be made through simple no and low cost changes to the way a building is managed and occupied.

“A rating based on actual energy use will highlight these opportunities, which would otherwise remain hidden.

“We see the introduction of certification as being complementary to the Green Deal, also within the Energy Bill, being discussed by MPs today. DECs would ensure that any improvements to buildings would deliver on their expected energy savings.”