Introduction to the Certificado de Eficiencia Energética

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 1^st 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.