Energy certificate for buildings in Germany
An energy certificate shows the final energy demand of a building. This can be a residential building (single-family house, mid-terrace house, apartment building, ...) or a non-residential building (office building, industrial or commercial property, public facility, ...).
What is an energy certificate needed for?
When renting or selling a new property
Since the Energy Saving Ordinance of 2014 (EnEV 2014), landlords or owners who want to sell or re-let a flat or building must have an energy certificate drawn up for this property in advance.
Basis for the CO2 tax
Since 1 January 2023, the tiered model for the CO2 tax on buildings has come into force. The graduated model states that the landlord/landlady has to bear up to 95% of the CO2 tax if the building is in poor energy condition. The energy certificate forms the basis for the amount of the CO2 tax.
After an energy renovation measure has been carried out on a rented house
If the windows have been replaced with triple-glazed windows, the roof or the exterior walls have been insulated or a new heating system has been installed, the energy demand of the house has changed. The costs of energy refurbishment usually entail a rent increase for the residents.
In order to show the occupants in which final energy class (A+ to H) the house is now in, an energy certificate can be issued. In addition, the CO2 tax is reduced.
Consumption certificate or demand certificate?
There are two different types of energy certificates:
1. energy consumption certificate
2. energy demand certificate
The term of the energy certificates is ten years in each case.
Consumption certificate
This energy certificate is based on the energy consumption values of previous years and is therefore highly dependent on the user behavior of the residents in recent years.
Advantage: Less data is needed for a legally permissible and legally secure certificate. Therefore, this variant is also the cheaper option.
Demand certificate
This energy certificate shows the theoretical energy consumption for a standardized house use. The data collection is therefore significantly more extensive, but independent of the user behavior of the residents.
Advantage: Due to the standardized use of the house, similar houses (e.g. single-family house) are easier to compare with each another. In addition, individual modernisation recommendations are possible and the energy certificate can be updated more easily after an energy modernisation.
Which is the right certificate for me?
In principle, you have the freedom to choose between a consumption certificate and a demand certificate.
A demand certificate can be issued for any building without restrictions.
In order to be allowed to create a consumption certificate, the following requirements must be met:
1. non-residential building
or
2. multi-family house with at least 5 residential units
or
3. single-family house or multi-family house with less than 5 residential units, built after 1977
or
4. Single-family house or multi-family house with less than 5 residential units, built before 1978 and retrofitted for energy efficiency (e.g. facade insulation)
and
5. The heating consumption values for the last three years (four years for oil heating systems) must be available in a coherent/gapless manner. In the case of non-residential buildings, the electricity consumption of the last three years must also be available without any gaps. In the case of multi-family buildings, vacancies must also be taken into account.
Note on the sometimes very cheap offers on the Internet
Even though online energy certificates can be created with minimal effort, we do not offer you anything like that. This has the following reason:
Energy certificates are only valid if the issuer has no reasonable cause to doubt the accuracy of the data provided by the owner (EnEV 2014 §17, paragraph 5). If you, as the owner, enter the data into the computer yourself, this could result in a judge deeming this energy certificate invalid. It cannot be proven whether the issuer personally checks the data on the computer and many online energy certificates are not checked or not checked correctly. This was proven by a study by the North Rhine-Westphalia consumer center, which came to the conclusion: "Inadequate energy certificates from the Internet".
We therefore check all data for plausibility and, if necessary, consult with the owner before issuing the energy certificate.
Energy certificate requirement
Since January 1, 2009, the energy certificate has been mandatory for all existing residential buildings as soon as the property is sold, rented, leased or significantly changed. The same applies to non-residential buildings since July 1, 2009.
A thermal insulation certificate or energy certificate must be created for all new buildings and must be submitted with the building application.
Currently, the developer of new buildings must ensure that the energy certificate is handed over to the owner immediately after the building is completed, even if he is also the owner. If a building is used by the authorities for heavy public traffic and the area used by the public is larger than 250 m², the owner must create an energy certificate and display it or have it published by the user. Even a building that is not used by an authority and is used by heavy public traffic from 500 m² must have an energy notice that is clearly visible.
