When is an energy certificate required for the sale of a house?

With an energy certificate you have a document which evaluates a building energetically. In Germany, the issuance and use of an energy certificate is regulated in the Energy Saving Ordinance.

When is there an obligation to present an energy certificate?

Property owners who wish to sell their property must present an energy certificate at the latest when viewing the property. When advertising, key data such as final energy demand or consumption in kilowatt hours per square meter (kWh/m²) and year, the main energy source of the building heating and the year of construction of the residential building must be specified. Caution is advised in the case of missing information, fines of up to 14,000 euros may be imposed. The certificate or a copy must be handed over to the new owner when the purchase contract is concluded. There is only one exception to note, these are buildings with less than 50 m² of usable floor space and historical monuments.

Which energy efficiency classes are included in an energy certificate?

Energy certificates for residential buildings issued after 1 May 2014 are assigned to an energy efficiency class from “A+” to “H”. This classification should also be indicated in real estate advertisements. This enables prospective buyers to obtain a direct, well-founded impression of the energy status of a building.

“A+” classifies buildings whose final energy demand or consumption is less than 30 kWh/m² per year. The efficiency class “H” indicates residential buildings whose demand or consumption is higher than 250 kWh/m² per year. The classification is combined with the band tachometer already known from the old energy certificate, which also visualises the energy efficiency in terms of colour from green (very efficient) through yellow (average efficiency) to orange and red (low efficiency).

What distinctions are there in the energy certificate?

A distinction is made between a consumption and a demand certificate. The consumption certificate is based on the energy consumption, such as gas or heating oil. In the case of the demand certificate, a calculated heat balance of the building is created. The energy consumption to be expected for the heat losses of the building components, the building ventilation and the operation of the building services is calculated and compared with a reference building.

What is an energy certificate and how do you read it?

Examples, costs, when which