BUYING A property in Spain involves considering a lot of
variables before you decide to purchase. Important decisions have to be made
about the location, size and age of the property, as well as the state of the construction,
decor, electrics, etc. Now, you will have to consider another important factor on that
list, energy efficiency.
We have all been told that we must save energy and cut
carbon dioxide emissions in order to slow down the effects on climate change.
For several decades governments have been slowly introducing ways to
achieve this and help educate us on what we need to consider in order to save
energy.
White goods are a perfect example of how this works. They have
been subject to being energy efficient rated for several years. Coloured bar
graphs attached to the goods provide useful energy efficiency information which helps us compare similar products.
More recently the demise of the traditional light bulb in
favour of low-energy lamps has us now using more energy efficient lighting in
our homes. Look closely on the packaging and you will see a small energy performance certificate displaying the lamps power efficiency. This, along with the infamous ICP that we must all have
fitted in our Consumer Units, is all part of the European Union master plan to
cut CO2 emissions by 20% by 2020.
On 1st June 2013 a new law will be introduced
that makes it compulsory for property owners to obtain a Certificado de Eficiencia Energética in order to sell or rent a
property. Basically, selling or renting your home will be no different than
buying a fridge freezer, certified information must be provided to the prospective buyer or renter about how energy efficient the property is.
