Energy Performance Certificates come to Spain

Hopefully no-one is doing Energy Certificates in Spain for 90 Euros!

We provide the CEE in Spain and we are also part of a group who provides them in the UK.  Our approach to providing them in Spain was to set up a Spanish company, employ our own fully qualified bi-lingual architects and invest in Spain.  

Although we are up and running, we are still looking for a good commercial unit in the area of La Torre, San Javier, etc.  Please contact us if you can help?

The legislation is clear in Spain you have to be an Arquitecto, Arquitecto Tecnico, Ingeniero or an Ingeniero Tecnico to provide Energy Certificates under the new legislation for existing buildings.  There seems to be some confusion over this.  There are courses available to take that will qualify you to provide the Energy Certifictate in Spain and we had several applicants who had this. Unfortunately, unless you are a qualified Architect or Engineer, you will not be able to provide the CEE for existing buildings.  Energy Certificates are not new to Spain as they have been required on new builds for some time.  To provide a CEE for a new build you don't need to be an Architect or an Engineer, just qualified to provide them.  

Please make sure when instructing an Energy Certificate in Spain for an existing dwelling that the assessor is a qualified Architect or Engineer and not just someone who has been on a training course.  Your Energy Certificate will not be valid and you will need another one to sell or rent your property.

Come 1st June, it is going to be very interesting.  There are simply not enough providers of the Energy Certificate to carry out all the work required in the time.

Providing the certificates in Spain and the UK gives us a unique edge and we are able to answer any queries you have.

Our pricing is very competetive and we are offering 20% off if you book and obtain your Energy Certificate before the 1st June.

Simon

CertEnergetico

Simon,

I am involved in property in the UK where the average cost of an EPC is £50.  You can pay a lot more and less if you're asking for certificates for multi locations, but £50 is pretty standard. 

Please can you explain why should it cost many times more than that amount in Spain?

 Hi Acer,

Yes, I can.

Firstly as a provider of EPC's in the UK, I think the price is unsustainable.  I would say that of course but it really is.  We carry out around 4800 per annum and our average price is £56.00.

Once you deduct the cost of lodging the certificate, travel, staff costs/time, admin support & PI cover, there is very, very little profit in providing EPC's in the UK.  We provide them as a secondary service to our main surveying activities and as a means to get our brand out there and drive customers to other services.

You are paying an average of £56 for a certificate with a validity of 10 years.  At that level we have to keep the salaries low and work our staff very hard doing multiple appointments per day.  The whole point of the Energy Certificate gets lost as they become a paper excercise to carry out as many as you can, rather than an excercise to advise and educate people that they can make a difference, save money and contribute to a greener environment.

I understand that the consumer just wants the certitifcate at the lowest possible cost but we should still remember what the whole point of the excercise is.  If the advice given within the EPC/by the assessor is followed, the consumer can make substantial cost savings over the course of 10 years.  Most importantly, we can all have a large scale positive impact on our environment.

The cost of providing the certificate in Spain is higher.  We are employing Architects not junior staff as we do in the UK.  Taxes are higher and the costs of running the business are again higher.  There are slight differences to an EPC and a Certificado Energetico, it will take slightly longer to carry out the Spanish version.

I believe that we should be charging closer to £150 in the UK on average and that the prices being charged in Spain are fair.  Please remember this is only my opinion and I do not set market prices merely respond to them as a business.

Simon

CertEnergetico

Hi I just had a look on the Camposol C.R.A site and some clown has offered the residents of Camposol a discount on the E.P.Cert he he has stated that instead of the original 400euros if he can get a minimum of 8 bookings per day he will do them for 200euros inc iva per property that works out at 1,600 for one days labour is this a joke why is it so much for what amounts to a peace of toilet paper in Spain wonder when the new Bentley is coming dream on.

E.P.Cert in the U.K between £35.00 & £50.00

E.P.Cert in Sth Ireland Between 50 & 60 euros

Hi Simon,

Thanks for your reply, but with respect you have not begun to explain the difference in charge between Spain and the UK.

The figure you would like to charge in the UK is irrelevant - the charge is around £50. 

You say that you are "using Architects not junior staff" but that is your choice - the legislation merely requires a "competent person".  Anyone with a basic construction background and a few days training could do the job.

A lot of other costs in Spain are less than those you mention, so sorry I do not believe your charge is right or sustainable.

Allow me to clarify

I am a CRA member;I will go for this offer as it is the best available .It is available to those on CAMPOSOL. Surveys will be done in May. There will be other cheaper offers in the future, I am sure, but for people selling now there is liitle choice. The certificate involves:

A one hour survey

Drawing of plans-approx 1 hour

Submission of plans to the College of Architects, which involves a fee for producing the certificate.

Clearly you will not get this for £50

It cannot be done by anyone with a few days training.

If you live on Camposol phone 902027517 for more info

 Hi Acer,

I have very clearly explained the difference in cost.

You state that it is our choice to use Architects not junior staff, it is not, it is the legislation in Spain.  The legislation does not merely require a competent person.  I am afraid not anyone with a few days training and a basic construction background can do the job in Spain.  They would be providing certificates illegally and they would be worthless.  The legislation is clearly provided for all to see online.

You are very wrong if you believe that the costs of running and setting up a business in Spain are less or the same as in the UK. 

We have set our pricing structure to be as competitive as it can be while providing a good service.  We are confident with the level of interest shown in our sevices so far.

Simon

CertEnergetico

Hi Simon & Camposol

We'll have to agree to differ - but I would make the point that I'm independent whereas you guys are clearly not!

I'm not a betting man, but if it were feasible I would love to have a large bet with both of you that 12 months from now the cost will be below €100.  Your present pricing structure is not sustainable - market forces will drive it down.  So make your money while you can!

As an aside, I wouldn't have commented on this thread but for the fact that I believe that EPCs are a complete waste of money and yet another tax on home owners.  The truth is that the EU parliament came up with the daft idea as they wanted to be seen as doing something positive on Green issues. 

But like a lot of legislation out of the EU it serves little or no useful purpose.   How often have you heard the words..."I only want to buy/rent a property that has an A rated EPC?" . 

Acer the price for the EPC is market led, not government led

Yes,I agree the price will come right down, but my house is for sale Now, and I need to have a legitimite certificate. So far, I have not seen any better offers than the one I described.

If there are please let me know.....

There was a useful article on EPC and what is means to buyers and owners of propertieis in Spain published on Expatica a few days ago, worth a read.

We are an engineering company offering Energy Efficiency Certificates in the Barcelona area.

The technicians who issue the certificates are, by law, all qualified industrial engineers or architects.

We are offering a special price in May of 150€  plus IVA and the local ICAEN registration fee (still to be defined) for apartments of up to 200m2 in the Barcelona metropolitan area. For larger apartments or houses please contact us. We speak English, Spanish and Catalan.

Certipiso [dot] com

Tel 93 172 0159

 Good morning expats, 

Following R.D. 235/2013 of the 5th of April, re Energy Efficiency Certificates on all properties built, rented or sold from the 1st of June of 2013, we are glad to offer our qualified service as Architects on the issue of the Energy Efficiency Certificates on The Murcia, Almería and Alicante Regions. 

Our quotes are the most competitive on the market, and our service is professional and efficient 'as the certificate requires' ; ) 

Please send us a private message, and we will be very pleased of attending all your queries, and to give you a price.

Dear CostaCalida.

As you are architects , you will have a registered number at the college of architecs...please provide this on the blog so that we trust that you are legal and not trying to rip us off!!!

Dear Paul,

Exactly, we run what it's called 'SLP' Sociedad Limitada Profesional 'Proffesional Limited Liability' company. This can give you the confidence you are lacking on that we are Architects. As for my proffessional number, please understand that I shouldn't publish it on this forum, since this could act against me. As you know, and as this forum has already pointed out, there are non-proffesional people, who are not entitled to issue this certificates. As such conmen, they use someone else's proffesional ID to issue the certificates. 

We are not that type of people who try to rip off clients. We do not take a single euro until the certificate is issued. Our proffesional number comes from COAATIEMU (COLEGIO OFICIAL DE APAREJADORES ARQUITECTOS TÉCNICOS E INGENIEROS DE EDIFICACIÓN DE LA REGIÓN DE MURCIA) which means (OFFICIAL COLLEGE OF BUILDING ENGINEERERS, TECHNICAL ARCHITECTS OF THE REGION OF MURCIA). 

Hope this can give you some confidence on our company, and please note again that we are the most competitive in price and quality on the area. If you have further queries, please send us a private message, also for asking for quotation.

ARQUITECTURA Y DISEÑO MURCIA SLP

Have to agree with Costacalida, it would not be a good idea to give too much information on an open forum. We currently have two architects and two registered engineers carrying out Energy Certificates in Murcia, and two more assessors in Marbella. We are also looking to take on more covering other regions.

Amazing how this debate continues and so far the best price that I have been quoted is €150 plus IVA for a property up to 100 sq mts 

Are you referring to the post by certipiso which quotes 150+iva  and ICAEN registration fee? If so,  We don't know the total price.

The €150 +IVA includes registration and will come down to €130 for volume and I plan to do this as a service for my clients  so I wont be making a margin because it also helps me on the rental and sales sites

Yesterday I placed a reaction in this forum and now it's gone without any comment?

I would be pleased to get a reaction from f.e. the moderator/owner of this forum why I'm spending time to see nothing happening?
 

Ps. I already send an e-mail yesterday and also got no reaction...

Kind regards,

CasaXero

Ruud van Rooijen