Buyer guide
Energy certificates on the Costa Blanca: a buyer’s checklist
An energy rating adds useful evidence to your property search. Here is how to check the certificate and turn it into practical questions about comfort and running costs.
At a glance
- Request the full certificate and its registration evidence, and check which home or building it covers.
- Read the energy consumption and emissions ratings separately; the figures use standard assessment conditions.
- Check the recorded expiry date and ask about equipment or alterations made since the assessment.
- Use the certificate to guide questions and quotations for your own comfort and budget.
Before reserving a home in San Miguel de Salinas, Torrevieja or Orihuela Costa, ask for its certificado de eficiencia energética, often called an energy certificate or EPC in English. Reading the complete document helps you compare the property’s energy performance and plan further checks. Use this guide alongside your viewing notes, the seller’s information and independent professional advice.
1. Request the complete document for the correct property
Ask for the certificate rather than relying on a letter in an advert. Match the address and property identification to the home you are considering. For an apartment, establish whether the assessment covers the individual dwelling or the building, and ask the certifier to explain the coverage if it is unclear.
For a finished new-build home, request the completed-building certificate and registration evidence. An off-plan project has a design-stage assessment; keep track of the documents that still need to be provided when construction is complete.
2. Understand the letters and the numbers
IDAE explains that ratings run from A to G, with A representing better energy performance within the assessment method. The certificate reports energy consumption and CO₂ emissions. Read both indicators: their letters can differ.
The Valencian register identifies non-renewable primary energy consumption in kWh/m² per year and emissions in kg CO₂/m² per year. Primary energy is an assessment indicator. Multiplying that number by the property’s area and your electricity tariff will not give a reliable annual bill.
IDAE describes a calculation using standard operating conditions, independent of the occupants’ actual habits. Your time in the home, temperature settings, tariffs and equipment use all matter when planning your personal budget.
3. Check registration and the actual expiry date
The Generalitat Valenciana states that existing buildings or parts of buildings covered by the certification rules must have their certificate registered before sale. Ask for the registration evidence and have your independent adviser review any claimed exemption.
Article 13 of Real Decreto 390/2021 sets a maximum validity of ten years, or five years for a G rating. The Generalitat’s data notes that older G certificates registered before that decree came into force can have a ten-year maximum. Check the recorded valid-until date instead of calculating it from the letter alone.
4. Turn the certificate into viewing questions
During your Costa Blanca viewing, examine how the home will work in the seasons you intend to use it. Ask about window glazing, insulation, blinds or external shading, ventilation, hot water and heating or cooling equipment. Request model details and available maintenance records.
For a top-floor apartment with a solarium, discuss the roof and exposed rooms with a technical professional. For a villa, consider which rooms you will actually cool or heat. Orientation and shade are useful observations, but comfort and condition still need property-specific assessment.
Recent energy bills can add context if the seller explains occupancy and usage. Compare the period and circumstances before treating another household’s spending as your forecast.
5. Review improvements before setting a budget
Use the recommendations in the certificate as topics for discussion with a competent technician. Ask which measures suit the existing building, what they would cost and what assumptions support any estimated savings.
Find out whether windows, insulation or equipment have changed since the certificate was prepared. Ask the certifier whether the document still reflects the home. Obtain written quotations for work you intend to carry out and confirm any necessary permissions before making it part of your purchase plan.
6. Keep a short comparison for each home
Record the certificate reference, registration evidence, expiry, both ratings, installed systems and outstanding questions on one page. Keep proposed works and quotations beside these facts so that a promising home can be assessed against your complete budget.
Verdi Estate can help request available property documents and coordinate information with the professionals you appoint. Tell us your intended use, preferred areas and comfort priorities. An independent energy specialist should interpret technical findings; your legal adviser should review the transaction requirements.
Questions buyers ask
Does an A rating guarantee a low electricity bill?
No. The certificate compares performance under standard conditions. Your actual bill also depends on occupancy, temperature settings, tariffs and appliance use. Read the full certificate and consider recent bills with their usage context.
Is a project certificate enough for a finished new-build home?
Ask for the completed-building certificate and its registration evidence. A project assessment concerns the proposed design. Your adviser can check which documents apply at your purchase stage.
Does an energy certificate replace a building survey?
No. It provides energy-performance information. An independent technical inspection addresses the property’s condition and other concerns within its agreed scope. Use both sources of information where appropriate.
Sources and further reading
- IDAE — How building energy ratings are calculated
- Generalitat Valenciana — Register of building energy efficiency certificates
- BOE — Real Decreto 390/2021, Article 13: certificate validity
- Generalitat Valenciana — Energy certificate data definitions and expiry dates
General information, not individual legal or tax advice. Confirm property-specific requirements with an independent professional.