What is the energy certificate?

What is the energy certificate?

If you are thinking of selling or renting your house, there are some steps that need to be taken in order to go ahead. There are some requirements to be met, such as getting an energy certificate.

We are talking about a document that has been required since 2013 in order to be able to sell or rent a property. It is required by the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism.

If you are in this situation right now, or if you are just curious about this document, this article will tell you everything you need to know.

What do we call an energy certificate?

The energy certificate is a document that evaluates the energy criteria of a given property. It could also be done for premises, establishments, as well as any other type of establishment.

The main objective of issuing the document is to obtain a good energy rating by assessing the elements comprising the property or site under study.

With the energy certificate you get what is known as the energy label. We are talking about a rating that informs us about the energy efficiency of the place. This will be classified on the basis of a letter ranging from A to G, so that the letter A will be the most efficient and G the least efficient.

What is the importance of the energy certificate?

Considering how much electricity prices have risen in recent years, the energy certificate is more important than ever. Thanks to this document we will be able to know the level of efficiency of a property.

It need not be requested solely for the purpose of selling or renting, but could also be commissioned simply to find out the efficiency of the property and to determine how it can be improved.

It can be an interesting starting point for determining how to lower energy consumption (i.e. monthly bills).

Please note that you will not be able to sell your property if you do not have the energy certificate: when the notary starts to check the documentation, he/she will put the file on hold if he/she does not find this document.

Who issues the energy certificate?

We are already clear about the importance of the energy certificate, but it is also important to know who is in charge of preparing it. All the information related to this resource can be found in the Royal Decree 235/2013 of 5 April.

In this RD we discover that it will be the responsibility of an authorised technician to issue the certificate. This means that he/she must have the appropriate qualification to draw up construction projects. Otherwise, he/she will not have the competence to draw it up.

However, in the RD there is no obligation to hire a specific technician, but each person is free to hire the one they prefer. The best thing to do is to hire one that is close to the location of the property, and that has stipulated rates that adapt to your budget.

In which cases is an energy certificate mandatory and how much does it cost?

The energy certificate is compulsory when selling and renting. However, there are some exceptions that are provided for in the RD:

Buildings and monuments that are officially protected as part of the declared environment, those used as places of worship or religious activities, industrial buildings, temporary constructions with a period of use of less than 2 years, buildings or parts of buildings with a surface area of less than 50 square metres, buildings that have been acquired for demolition or major renovation or buildings that are to be used for less than 4 months per year are excluded from the submission of this document.

The rest of the exceptions can be checked in the RD.

As for the price of the energy certificate, the truth is that this will depend on the electrician you are going to buy. We can find a price range of between €90 and €150 for around 70 m^2. The larger the property, the more this document tends to cost.

If you have any questions related to this document, you can consult directly with the person who makes an energy certificate. Due to its great importance, you cannot keep any question in your mind.

Our real estate agency on the Costa del Sol helps all our clients to have all the documentation in order.