What you need to know about the energy certificate

Basically, anyone who wants to sell or rent a house or apartment needs an energy performance certificate. If the energy certificate is missing at the time of viewing or if the legal requirements are violated, fines of up to 15,000 euros may be imposed. You should therefore pay attention to a number of things when issuing an energy performance certificate.

After careful consideration, have you decided to give up your own home and enjoy a carefree retirement in an age-appropriate residence? If you are selling your house or apartment on your own initiative, there is one thing you must take into account before the deadline: An energy performance certificate is mandatory, otherwise there is a risk of heavy fines. It is advisable to take advantage of comprehensive advice.

The energy performance certificate documents the energy standard of a house, i.e. how much energy the house consumes. This is shown in simplified form using the energy efficiency classes. The scale ranges from class A+, a very good consumption value, to class H, which indicates very high energy consumption. There is also general information about the building, such as the year the house was built and the type of heating, for example oil or gas.

There are two types of energy performance certificate. The demand certificate and the consumption certificate. You can memorize the difference between the consumption certificate and the demand certificate with this little mnemonic: The consumption certificate requires a calculation. And one that is not based on consumption values. This is often the case with new construction projects. The future energy consumption must already be determined in the planning phase by means of a complex calculation. This includes all factors such as the insulation of the exterior wall, the energy classes of the windows and the heating technology. The location of the building and the type of construction also play a role. The theoretical basis of this calculation is always the same, so that the energy values of buildings can be compared objectively. Nevertheless, the values should be viewed with caution. This is because they do not take into account your own heating behavior or the typical energy consumption of a household.

The actual consumption values of a household are always individual and depend on the comfort zone in which the residents feel comfortable. Those who enjoy taking long showers and like to stay in their home at a cozy 24 degrees Celsius naturally have a worse energy balance than those consumers who regularly turn off the heating when they leave the house.

The decisive factor is therefore: heating and hot water usage. The consumption certificate indicates the actual energy consumed by a house by measuring the actual consumption. It is drawn up using the figures for heating and hot water preparation. Both are stated in kilowatt hours per year and square meter of usable building area. The calculation is usually based on heating bills from the last three years. Although the consumption certificate is not as informative as the demand certificate, it is cheaper to produce.

However, you should pay attention to who creates it. There are many cheap offers on the Internet, but you should be careful because the quality is often poor. The safest thing to do is to seek advice. Thanks to their many years of experience, real estate experts know who can issue you with a suitable energy performance certificate. As a rule, these are qualified and licensed specialists such as architects, engineers, master craftsmen with appropriate additional training or energy consultants. You should ensure that the consultants are independent. You can find lists of independent and qualified experts at the Federal Office for Export Control (BAFA), the KfW Banking Group or the German Energy Agency (dena).

Do you have questions about the energy certificate? Let our experts advise you.

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