THE INJUSTICE OF THE ENERGY PASS if you live in an apartment

THE FACTS ABOUT THE ENERGY PASS

The energy performance certificate also know as Energy Pass, provides information on the building’s calculated energy needs and CO2 emissions. It uses energy performance classes ranging from A+ (the best class) to I (the worst one). It provides information on :

• The primary energy needs through the energy performance class,

• The heating needs through the thermal insulation class,

• The building’s CO2 emission through the environmental class.

It is calculated for an entire building regardless of its number of residential and commercial units.

The information it contains is used as a basis for calculating the Renovation Fund every property owner must financially contribute into.

THE PITFALLS

If you live in a building that contains several residential units, your Energy Pass is that provided for the entire building.

Whether you live on the top floor below a flat roof or on an intermediary floor with units below and above, your heating bill will reflect the surface of your unit that is exposed to the cold outdoors hence impacting your heating bill. Yet this will not be reflected on your Energy Pass.

Similarly if your unit is north faced or south faced, your heating bill will be impacted yet this will not be reflected on your Energy Pass.

If you do change your windows from double to triple glazed models, hence improving insulation, this is not reflected on the Energy Pass.

Property sale prices show increasing gaps between energy classes; your own efforts in lowering your energy needs and improving your thermal insulation will not be reflected in your Energy Pass. More importantly this will have no influence on the sale price that you could ask for.

As a real estate consultant, my role is to provide independent advice to you buyers.

Get the full picture so you can decide for yourself.It is about preventing regret and building confidence.

It is not about telling you what property to buy and not to buy.