Atom bank introduces ‘Better Buildings’ commercial mortgage discount
06 August 2025
Atom bank, the UK’s highest rated bank on Trustpilot, has introduced a discount on its commercial mortgages for properties with higher energy efficiency ratings.
The ‘Better Buildings’ discount is available to properties with either an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of at least B, or Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) rating of at least ‘Very Good’.
Properties with an EPC rating of A+/A or a BREEAM rating of ‘outstanding’ or ‘excellent’ will be eligible for a 0.25% discount. Alternatively, a 0.10% discount is available for those with an EPC rating of B or a BREEAM rating of ‘Very Good’.
Only one discount can apply to an application. For applications covering multiple properties, any discount will be assessed on a portfolio-wide basis. More than 70% of the portfolio’s total value will need to meet the criteria for the qualifying discount band.
A field has been added within the application form for brokers to add EPC or BREEAM ratings for the relevant properties. Brokers can also include the ratings in Atom bank’s Quick Quote tool when obtaining an indicative rate for clients. The efficiency rating needs to be evidenced at the point of application, and will then be verified at the valuation stage. In the event that the rating is lower than what was declared during the application, the discount will be removed.
The ‘Better Buildings’ discount comes after Atom bank recently reduced rates across its range of commercial fixed rate mortgages by 0.25%, while a further 0.25% discount applies to cases of between £1m and £4m.
Becoming climate positive
The ‘Better Buildings’ discount has been introduced as part of Atom bank’s journey to becoming a climate positive bank.
The bank has committed to becoming climate positive from 2035, a pledge that includes both operational and all financed emissions associated with its lending, making it the most ambitious climate target of any UK bank. The digital lender has taken a host of steps towards reaching this goal, including the purchase of 25 acres of Northumberland woodland. The newly planted broadleaved woodland will sequester 7,000 tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere over its lifetime, the equivalent of the output of Atom bank’s operations since launch more than a decade ago. As part of the pledge, Atom bank is also lending into natural capital projects, which support the sale of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) units required for housing development.
Tom Renwick, Head of Business Lending at Atom bank, commented:
“We're incredibly passionate about supporting improvements to the efficiency standards of commercial property across the UK. With the introduction of our Better Buildings discount, Atom bank is not just helping to drive positive change; we're actively rewarding it. We've ensured that the best rated properties will benefit from our most competitive rates, regardless of whether they have an EPC or BREEAM rating.
As part of our commitment to playing a vital role in reducing the carbon intensity of the built environment – which accounts for approximately 25% of UK greenhouse gas emissions – we will continually enhance the criteria for what qualifies as a 'Better Building' over time.
Brokers can head to our Quick Quote tool now to get an immediate idea of the discounts available to their commercial clients and see the real impact improved efficiency ratings will have on the cost of their borrowing.”
