All about the Energy Efficiency Certificate in Madrid 2022
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Less than 1% of homes in Spain obtain the maximum A rating on their energy certificate
If you are going to sell or rent your house, you will surely have some questions such as “Does it have an up-to-date energy efficiency certification? What’s your rating?” And others more related to the subject, since the sale or rental of the property cannot be carried out if this document is not updated. Surely you will have heard of it, and if not, don’t worry, one in two Spaniards are unaware of everything about the energy efficiency certificate. At Geräh Real Estate Partners , we are used to clients asking us questions such as:«What is and what is the function of the energy certificate? Is it mandatory? Am I exempt? How do I get it? Who certifies it? How much does it cost? How much is the fine paid? Can I save on the electricity bill? How can the real estate agency help me?» Keep reading and in less than 5 minutes you will know everything you need to know about the energy efficiency certificate so that it does not catch you off guard.
What is the Energy Efficiency Certificate?
Do you know how much energy your house consumes and why? Do you understand the characteristics of your electrical system? You should know, especially since we all pay monthly for these services. As consumers, we have the right to have access to this information.
The Energy Efficiency Certificate is a document required by the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism for all homes that are going to be rented or purchased. By 2007 it began to be mandatory for newly built buildings. On June 1, 2013 it became mandatory throughout Spain, for all existing buildings, dwellings and parts of buildings.
It incorporates all the aspects and energy characteristics of the property to carry out a better evaluation and qualification of all the elements that make it up in the ” energy label “.
Energy labels compare the consumption of a building with predefined values that depend on various factors such as: the climate zone, the type of building, the number of windows, orientation, etc.
Here is a model of the certificate:
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- The green color for finished buildings and the orange color for the project label.
- Building data (type, address, cadastral references, etc.), including the regulations applicable by date of construction.
- The energy labels of the buildings rate the properties on a scale from the letter A (very efficient) to the letter G (not very efficient) in 2 indicators.
- Energy consumption (from non-renewable sources) in KWh/m² year (kilowatt hours per square meter).
- Carbon dioxide emissions in Kg CO2/m² year.
- Energy label validity date (10 years from registration).
- Logo of the European Union, country and Directive to which it responds.
- Registration number, in the official registry of the Autonomous Community.
The energy labels detail the qualification that the house has obtained . As seen in the image, a scale of letters is used that goes from A, being the highest and most efficient, to G, as the lowest and least efficient. It also includes information on the amount of carbon dioxide that can be emitted and even provides data on annual energy consumption. To better understand how this tag works, we break down its different ratings:
Only one in 400 homes has an A energy label in Spain
Who issues this energy efficiency certificate?
The Energy Efficiency Certificate document should only be drawn up by a competent technician. According to Royal Decree 235/2013, of April 5, the authorized technician must have the qualification that enables him to draft construction projects, thermal installations or have accredited the necessary professional qualification to issue thermal efficiency certificates in Spain.
This professional can be an engineer, architect or a specialized technician. The user is free to decide with which professional company he wants to obtain the certificate, since there is no obligation to hire a specific one.
At Geräh Real Estate Partners we can help you process your certificate at the best possible price and in a few days!
Click here for more information
Is it mandatory to have an energy certificate?
If you want to rent or sell a property, the answer is yes. To make any of these transactions, the owner must have this energy certificate. This seeks to inform the other party (whether a potential tenant or buyer) of the energy efficiency available in said home. So the owners, real estate agents, sellers and/or landlords must present it…
The owner is obliged to commission both the completion of the certificate and the registration before the competent body of the Autonomous Community. After which he will get an energy label.
We recommend that you keep it for future inspections, since it is renewed every 10 years and will serve to inform future buyers or tenants.
Who is exempt?
Like everything in life, there are always exceptions and in this case there are too. We present them to you below:
- Religious buildings and historical monuments.
- Homes that are not going to be rented for more than 16 weeks a year.
- Those buildings used for industrial or agricultural aspects.
- Properties that have been demolished or destroyed or that are going to be a temporary construction.
If your property or building meets any of these conditions, you already know that you are exempt.
How much does this energy efficiency certificate cost for my home?
The cost of the energy certificate is not stipulated by the Government, therefore it is established depending on the supply and demand that there is at that moment in the market. It is advisable to compare prices with different companies or request personalized quotes, but to give you an idea, a flat of about 70 square meters can cost between €90 and €150, taking into account that several expenses are variable, such as administrative fees for the Autonomous Community in which you are.
At Geräh Real Estate Partners we can help you with your energy certificate at an excellent cost.
What happens if I do not have the energy certificate?
Renting or selling without an energy certificate carries fines ranging from €300 to €6,000 . The sanctions are divided into light, serious and very serious and are included in Law 8/2013, of June 26.
- Minor infractions will be advertising the sale or rental of homes that must have a certificate without mentioning their qualification, not displaying the efficiency label when it is mandatory —or displaying one without the minimum format and content—, issuing certificates without the minimum information , failing to comply with the obligations to renew or update the certificates, not incorporating the certificate in the Building Book and publicizing the qualification of the project when that of the finished building already exists.
- Serious infraction will be breaching the calculation methodology of the procedure, not presenting the certificate to the Autonomous Community, displaying a label that does not correspond to the actual certificate, and selling or renting a property without the seller delivering the current certificate to the buyer or tenant.
- A very serious infraction will be when the information is falsified in the issuance or registration of the certificates, acting as a certifying technician or publicizing a certificate that is not registered.
If you advertise a property without indicating its energy certification, it will be a minor infraction with a fine of between €300 and €600. Now, if the document is not delivered to the new user in a purchase, sale or rental contract, the fine can go up to €1,000.
Remember that the energy efficiency certificate has become a right for the consumer. Knowing the level of consumption and spending that a home or premises will generate is a key factor when deciding on one home or another.
For this reason, the law establishes that in any advertisement where the property is published, it must include the energy rating. Likewise, when going to a real estate agency, possession of the energy certificate must be accredited.
In the sale, the seller has to deliver the certificate to the new owner, while in a rental contract a copy of the document must be provided.
Can an individual sue the owner for not having the certificate?
That’s right. Any consumer can denounce the owner who wants to sell or rent a home without the energy certificate, but if the owner has the certificate and has not been able to register it because the Autonomous Community does not have registration enabled, the owner can rest easy.
Article in collaboration with Pablo Quintero
