Energy certificate: What does it say?

The energy performance certificate has been around for over ten years now. The good news first: only owners who want to rent, lease or sell need to worry about this document. If you live in your property yourself, it can be interesting to find out what the overall energy consumption of the building is. If the value leaves something to be desired, refurbishment measures can be wise: For the sake of the environment and your own wallet.

What information does the energy performance certificate provide?

First of all, the document provides information on how environmentally friendly a property is. It is about the total energy consumption. The purpose of this certificate is to be able to compare your own property with other houses and apartments and to make its energy efficiency transparent. However, most energy performance certificates only show the annual consumption of the respective energy source, e.g. heating oil or gas.

Do I need a consumption or demand certificate?

Homeowners who have built from October 2007 onwards are required by law to have a needs-based certificate. A needs-based certificate is also mandatory for buildings that were built before 1977 but were later extensively renovated (over 10% of the total area) or where extensions were subsequently added. For all other buildings that were built in accordance with the 1977 Thermal Insulation Ordinance, a consumption-based certificate is sufficient.

This speaks in favor of a consumption certificate

The effort is manageable. The reason for this: The energy requirement of the property is simply calculated using the data from the last three years. The costs incurred for the energy source are decisive. Shortcoming: As the climatic conditions and the heating behavior of the residents are also taken into account, this calculation is not error-free. If a lot of heating is used, the oil or gas consumption increases. Furthermore, the building fabric and its energy weaknesses are not taken into account.

Reasons for a certificate of need

Creating a certificate of need is more complicated. A technical inventory is carried out here. The question is: How much energy is needed for average use? In order to estimate this, an expert takes a look at the building's structure and technology.

Who can issue my energy certificate and how long is it valid for?

If you are wondering who is authorized to issue such a document, rest assured: certified energy consultants and many architectural or engineering firms now offer this service. The document is then valid for 10 years. After that, a new copy must be issued.

Do you have any questions about the energy certificate? Or can we assist you in any other way? Get in touch with us! We will be happy to help you!

Notes

For reasons of better readability, the generic masculine is used in this text. Female and other gender identities are explicitly included where this is necessary for the statement.

Legal notice: This article does not constitute tax or legal advice in individual cases. Please consult a lawyer and/or tax advisor to clarify the facts of your specific individual case.

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