Energy performance certificate (EPC)

The energy performance certificate rates a home or commercial premises with a letter from A (the most efficient) to G, according to the energy it uses and the emissions it produces. It is compulsory to sell or let, and the label must appear in every advert.

When it is compulsory

Under Royal Decree 390/2021, an energy performance certificate is required in these cases:

• To Selling a home, commercial premises or a building.
• To Letting it to a new tenant.
• In newly built buildings.
• In major renovations: when the heating and cooling systems are replaced, works affect more than 25% of the building envelope, or the building is extended by more than 10%.
• In buildings that must undergo a building inspection (IEE/ITE).

The label must appear in all advertising for sale or rent, including property portals and estate agents, and the registered certificate is attached to the contract.

How long it lasts

It is valid for 10 years, unless the rating is G, in which case it lasts 5 years.

How we do it

1. Visit to the home or premises. We take measurements and check the orientation, the type of walls, roof and windows, and the heating, cooling and hot water systems.
2. Calculation with officially recognised software.
3. Improvement recommendations. The certificate includes measures to improve the rating, with their approximate effect.
4. Registration and delivery. We enter it in the official register of energy performance certificates (the Generalitat Valenciana's or, in Murcia, the Regional Government's) and give you the certificate and the label.

Registration carries a small regional fee, which we state in the quote.

What we need from you

• Cadastral reference and the owner's details.
• Access to the whole home or premises.
• If you have them to hand, details of the boiler, air conditioning or water heater.

Frequently asked questions

What rating will I get?

It depends mainly on the insulation, the windows and the building services. Unrenovated homes built before the 1980s usually get low ratings (E, F or G), and that is normal.

Do I have to improve the rating to be able to sell?

No. The certificate is for information: you are required to have it and show it, not to improve the rating.

Who can sign it?

A qualified professional. Architects are directly authorised to issue it.

Can it be used to apply for grants?

Many energy refurbishment grants require one certificate before the works and another after, to show the improvement. If you are going to renovate, we plan both together: home renovation.