Everything you need to know about the Energy Certificate (including the price)

Find out everything you need to know about the Energy Certification process for your property!

Energy certification has been compulsory in certain cases since 2013. It is through this process that we have access to the Energy Certificate, a document that determines the level of energy efficiency of a property.

If you want to put a house on the market to sell or rent, the Energy Certificate is an essential and mandatory document. This document is also a way of getting to know your property in detail and adding value to it, since houses with higher energy ratings have competitive advantages on the market.

But what does the Energy Certificate consist of?

What is its purpose?

And how much does it cost to get certified?

Don't worry, we've answered all your questions in this article.

The Energy Certificate is a document that assesses the energy efficiency of a property. How? By providing information on energy consumption and the costs involved, including the heating and cooling of the house and the production of domestic hot water.

In Portugal, this assessment is made on a scale from A+ to F, with eight possible classifications (A+, A, B, B-, C, D, E and F), with A+ being the most efficient classification and F the least efficient. Properties built after 2006 must have a minimum rating of B-, a value stipulated by law. For buildings built before that date, any rating level is valid and recognized.

In addition to the information related to consumption costs, the Energy Certificate also includes possible suggestions for improvement in terms of the construction of the property itself. These improvements can be applied to help increase the energy efficiency of your home, giving you greater comfort and a likely reduction in energy costs. When applied, the suggested improvements can result in an increase in your property's energy rating and associated tax benefits.

In order to obtain the Energy Certificate, you should have as much documentation about your property as possible in order to facilitate the process and guarantee an assessment that is as close to reality as possible. You will be provided with a list of the documents you should have with you, but be aware that some are compulsory, namely the Caderneta Predial Urbana, the Land Registry Certificate and the plan of the property.

Requesting the Energy Certificate is the responsibility of the property owner. This document must be presented to potential buyers or tenants, so it is mandatory if you want to put a house on the market for sale or rent.

In addition to owners, builders and real estate agents must also make the Energy Certificate number and rating available in all advertisements for the sale or rental of buildings covered by the certification system.

Anyone who advertises the sale or rental of a property without indicating its energy rating is subject to a fine. Individuals who fail to comply are subject to a fine of up to €3,740.00. As for non-compliant companies, they can pay between €2,500.00 and €45,000.00.

When is it necessary to obtain an Energy Certificate?

• When you advertise the sale or rental of your property;
• When the City Council asks you for the thermal performance project accompanied by the respective Declaration of Regulatory Compliance (DRC);
• When the City Council asks you for the Energy Performance and Indoor Air Quality Certificate, without which you won't be able to obtain a license to use the property.

That said, how is the property assessed?

The energy rating of your property will depend on several factors:

• Characteristics of the equipment used to produce hot water;
• The characteristics of the air conditioning and ventilation equipment;
• Installation or use of renewable energy systems;
• Solar exposure;
• Construction characteristics (floors, walls, roofs and glazing);
• Type of property (building or villa);
• Year of construction and occupied area.

Who assesses it?

Energy certification is carried out by qualified experts recognized by the Portuguese Energy Agency (ADENE), the managing body of the Energy Certification System for Buildings (SCE). These experts will visit your property and issue the corresponding Energy Certificate.

Qualified experts are architects or engineers with five years' professional experience or more, specifically trained and assessed by ADENE. They are individually responsible for carrying out the entire building certification process and it is they who, on the ground, ensure that the SCE is operational. They can exercise their skills both in the course of the licensing or authorization procedures for construction and use, and in the context of periodic audits planned for the building or its autonomous fractions.

The main responsibilities of ADENE's experts are:

• Checking the correct application of technical regulations;
• Assess energy performance and indoor air quality;
• Propose, where applicable, improvement measures following the performance assessments carried out;
• Issuing and registering declarations and/or certificates attesting to the building's regulatory compliance and its energy performance and indoor air quality, together with any proposed improvement measures;
• Checking or carrying out periodic inspections of boilers and air conditioning systems and equipment, under the terms of the Regulation on Energy Systems for Air Conditioning in Buildings (RSECE).

The Energy Certificate will be issued by the qualified expert using a computerized support system created for this purpose. It is also in this computer system that all certified buildings or fractions are registered.

Be aware that Energy Certificates can only be issued by experts qualified by ADENE!

Be wary of the following warning signs: budgets that are too low; and experts willing to issue the energy certificate without any documentation or a visit to the property.

What should you take into account to avoid fraud in the certification process?

• Contact a reliable company recognized in the market, such as Certigera;
• Choose a qualified expert authorized by ADENE;
• Ask to see the ADENE expert's identification before visiting your property;
• Accompany the entire visit and watch the entire recognition and assessment process;
• Check all the information on the Energy Certificate and, once the document has been issued, confirm its validity.

What is the price of an Energy Certificate?

The price of an Energy Certificate varies from expert to expert, however part of the price is a fixed fee that is paid directly to ADENE.

Fixed fee paid directly to ADENE (dwellings)

Currently, Certigera's prices for an Energy Certificate for the most common typologies are those you'll find in our online store:

The values indicated already include VAT and the fixed fees paid to ADENE.

The cost of an Energy Certificate is also subject to free market and competition rules.

You can find all the information on prices here, where Sara Aguiar, assistant in Certigera's Energy Certification Department, explains everything in more detail.

To obtain the cost of your Energy Certificate by telephone, please contact us.

The validity period of this type of document varies according to the type of property. For residential properties and small commercial and service properties, the Energy Certificate is considered valid for 10 years.

If you have any further questions about Energy Certification that have not been answered in this article, don't hesitate to contact us.