Energy Performance Certificates come to Spain

Dear Inspectahome.

Please telll me...as your prices seem extremely cheap.

Are you a atchitect , technical arquitect or engineer ?...if so what is your college number.

other companies wony give it out cause they claim it can damage them...thats a load of crock.

Genuine architects have no problem providing their number or a registered certificate from their college.

Since this post began , i have asked this on numerous ocasions....still waiting for just one to actually do it.

Please let us know

As I have explained in many posts that I am not offering this service, I do not deliver this service but for my clients where I manage their properties I am arranging to get these completed

The company are legal and registered and I will not promote their services on the forum but if you send me a PM I can pass on their contact details

Ruud the problem with your post was that it was commercial, advertising the service

To clear up all the confusion about energy certificates, we have out together a new site which explains all about the certificates in a way that everybody should be able to unstand.

We have however fond other epc providers, agents, newspapers and magazines who have been using the text from our sites on their own. Most of the time we have just got them to add up as the author of the articles they are using, however we are just about to take a couple further as they have directly copied our information.

The new site is

www.energy-performance-certificates-in-spain.com 

It should clear up a lot of the confusion

I understand the requirement is an EU one not Spanish

QUOTE:   The measure is a European initiative, and is coming into force on the 1st of June, 2013.

The European directive aims to increase energy efficiency in buildings and homes in order to protect the environment, and makes it compulsory for all new and existing homes which come onto the market, whether for sale or for rent, to have this certificate.

So let's not blame Spain for following EU Law, just for once !

Johnzx, I agree,

Actually, Spain was paying a yearly fine to Brussels for not having the EPC introduced.

Now they don't have to pay it anymore which is better for Spain... (new work for architects and 21% IVA...)

Another thing: I posted a comment (with a service) and it was removed as it was supposedly an advertisement...
Strange when I see several posts 'advertising' and 'selling' EPC-prices...
Yes, I provide a service but people are first made aware what answers you can have on frequently asked questions.
I thought that's a good thing too....

Prices: mind you there are numerous inspectors which have (supposedly) nice/low prices.
Mostly you can check those inspectors when they enter your home and leave within 30 minutes. These cannot make an 100% EPC as numerousl measurements have to be done which take a lot of time.
Time will learn...

Thanks Casa

But on the point of 'cheap inspectors'. 

If I was obliged to get a cert, which I personally see as a waste of time and money, a 'Cheap Inspector'  (regardless of qualifications) would be just the one I would want !

Strange thing is about these  "Energy Performance Certificate" bits of paper, at what ever cost, is the fact that it doesn't matter what, or who, you paid, having this piece of paper wont ever make Spain's houses any the more energy efficient......unless the whole building frame work is changed.....Is that happening?

Off thread, but significant.

The new Wealth Declaration return, resulted in around 131,000 returns. My gestor charged me 85 euros,  If all gestors etc made the same charge,  that amounted to over 11 Million euros.  So again a piece of paper which has provided a 'nice little earner' for gestors etc. 

This EPC will have a similar 'beneficial result' for the inspectors !!!!

 Do these certificates make any difference in UK?  They've been compulsory for a few years now.  The HIP was introduced at the same time and both cost over £200 which was a total waste of money.  Thankfully, the government removed the HIP but, under EU rules, retained the EPC.  Are they worth the paper they are written on?  MIne said replacing double glazing with the new "energy efficient" type would improve the rating.  As I'd only had them replaced 3 years before (and had the Fensta certificate) I'd have been hard pushed to make any savings.  And every time a "new improved" window is invented, would we all have to replace the windows at over 5 grand a time?  Using energy efficient light bulbs.  If the next person to buy the property changed them back to the old ones, would it then reduce the rating?  Fitting solar panels. All these were recommendations and we'd already had loft insulation, cavity wall insulation and so on.  By the time all this is paid for, I'd have to live to 150 to make any savings.

So, in Spain it is going to be the same thing.  Starting off expensive at first but coming down as more competition comes in.  Yes, there are loads of properties which are not energy efficient, mainly bought by holiday makers and expats.  The Spanish houses have foot thick stone walls and shutters which are kept down.  Nice and cosy in the winter and cool in the summer.  The expat solution is to fit log burners and aircon.  

Maybe the introduction of this certificate will make builders think a bit more about energy efficiency which, I am sure, is the reason behind the EU ruling to have them in the first place.  Those blaming Spain and "it could only happen in Spain" need to look a bit closer to home first.

We had an EPC done for our house in Scotland although we had been marketing it without one ourselves.  It has made absolutely no difference to the level of enquiries about the property.  They are just a waste of money.  Anyone wanting to sell their house will not get any payback by installing solar panels or whatever.  Only the new owners will get that.  It makes no difference to the price or whether people are interested in the property - if they like it, they will buy anyway.

The certificates will probably not influance whether somebody bys a property of not, however as it is law they are needed

True, but what I'm saying is that it is money wasted as they will not increase the value of your property and in Scotland at least has damaged the property market. 

They won't increase the value of a property, however there are other parts of this law that have not yet been sotred out. One of the things they are reviewing at the moment is that properties that fall below a certian rating won't be allowed to be rented out, on the back of that there will also be grants available to bring thse properties up to standard.

When this or indeed if this will come into force is not known, but it would make a bit more sense of things.

It has also been stated that by 2020 all new properties built will need to have 0 carbon emmissions,  that might be a bit harder in Spain.

Now we have the bother of registering these EPCs

We had an EPC done for our house in Scotland although we had been marketing it without one ourselves. It has made absolutely no difference to the level of enquiries about the property. They are just a waste of money. Anyone wanting to sell their house will not get any payback by installing solar panels or whatever. Only the new owners will get that. It makes no difference to the price or whether people are interested in the property - if they like it, they will buy anyway.

Not sure of the wording now as i cant find the article about it but apparently some one bought solar ( almost sure it was these)  panels and i think they were paying back some of the grant...This could be wrong...and when they sold the house the new owners still had to pay this extra via the electric bill.

Seems the contract isn't as good as it is made out  to be, as i said i could be well of track here because i cant find the correct wording....But i do remember the new owners and the paying back bit.

Hi Baz, I may be wrong but I think that the solar you are talking about is a differernt thing. A lot of companies at one point were offering to get you a grant and instal PV solar cells for free as long as you let them sell back the excess electricity produced. In reality no excess was ever produced so you ended up footing the bill. When the house is sold it is sold with a "sitting tenant" as you have effectively rented your roof to the electricity company.

Mind you this has nothing whatsoever to do with energy certificates.

A energy certificate will not get people lots of enquieries, but you have to have one as it is the law when you have a property for sale. So it won't get you a buyer but it will save you the possibility of a fine

If people fall in love with a property and it's energy rating is through the floor, it won't make a lot of difference they will still buy it.

It's european law but in places like Sweden where a better rated house could save you a lot of money it's more relevent than in Spain

Yes Chris. Perhaps that was the bit i read, wish i could come across the article again because what ever it was about i definitely know it was something to do with this green energy business and your home, and the new tenant had to carry on with the payment via their electric bills.

Appreciate this has nothing to do with the so called dreaded energy certificates, to me all this energy and green saving stuff seems to be getting out of hand just a bit. And as you say it's the law.

Once we've got them we've got to register them-that's right, more money!