As of January 1 2009, any house that is sold or let in Germany must under new legislation have an Energy Pass. These same regulations apply to any extensions or major changes that are carried out on the property concerned. What some people don’t know: the EnEV 2009 energy conservation guidelines have actually been in place for new houses since 2002.
So if you are planning on selling your house or letting out your property in the near future, then you have to count on being asked to provide legitimate proof that your house, flat or apartment conforms to EnEV 2009 guidelines in the form of the new Energy Pass.
The pass shows buyers and tenants how energy efficient a building is, thus giving them a clear idea of the energy costs they can expect and the type and the extent of modernisation which would have to be carried out.
This information includes:
- Exact details on the energy costs you can expect
- How this particular object compares to similar objects
- Which modernisation measures are recommended
And here’s something else that you as a tenant or house buyer should be watching out for: the recommendations regarding the type and extent of the modernisations to be carried out on the object in question are just that – mere recommendations. It is therefore crucial that you as a potential tenant find out when these recommendations are going to be put into practice and when you can count on paying lower energy costs. And as a buyer it is equally important to know which costs for carrying out the recommended modernisations could be coming your way.
There are two Energy Passes:
The Energy Requirement Pass: How energy efficient is a building? This pass includes an analysis of the building substance as well as the central heating system and shows which energy requirements the house has. This Energy Pass is for new houses.
The Energy Consumption Pass: This pass is for all other buildings. It tells you just how much energy in the form of heating and warm water was consumed during the previous three years. This pass is also particularly useful for house owners and property developers who can highlight the object’s strong points if the energy consumption is low and inform their clients of the prospective costs which additional modernisation measures would entail.
So it would seem that the Energy Pass will not only help you to save energy – it will help save you unnecessary trouble too.
