The Energy Performance Certificate has been a legally required document for Spanish homeowners looking to either sell or rent their property since June 2013. However, due to the fact that the requirement is relatively new and the government has not enforced it, many property owners have sold or rented their properties without obtaining the certificate.
This situation looks set to change as the Spanish government has now started enforcing the obligation which has led to an almost immediate increase of 200% in the number of applications made for the certificate according to Laura Nuñez, the CEO of Plan Reforma, a Spanish company which provides services to obtain the certificates.
Ms Nuñez believes that property owners still don’t understand the benefits that can be gained from increasing a property’s energy efficiency or that a home which scores better on energy efficiency can also see its value significantly increase due to the long term cash savings which result from the decreased use of electricity and fuels in an energy efficient property.
For Plan Reforma, only a qualified engineer or architect can properly measure energy efficiency and this should be done by visiting the property in question. The price of the survey for a 90m2 property should amount to around €100 with Ms Nuñez saying that if the price is below this, then one should be suspicious of the company making the offer.
Furthermore, when the certificate is awarded and the property’s rating is low, owners need to remember that the certificate should come with recommendations on how to improve their property’s energy performance rating as this is a legal requirement (Article 6. f) of Law 235/1999).
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