Energy Efficiency Certificate: expats warned against scams

Make sure that your property's energy certificate is issued by an authorised professional

British newspaper the Daily Telegraph has warned British expats to guard against dodgy operators looking to cash in on June’s new law, which requires anybody who is renting out or selling their Spanish property to obtain an Energy Efficiency Certificate.

These new certificates apply to any property that was built before 2007 (properties built since then should already have one), where the owners are required to retroactively apply for the certificate, which gives a quick and easy assessment of the home’s energy efficiency.

The Telegraph, however, warns that a number of unqualified assessors have begun scamming property owners, offering promises to ‘guarantee’ an A-rating (illegal and sometimes impossible), while some have been recorded selling certificates cheaply and even issuing them without ever having visited the property.

“This is not acceptable in any way,” said José Antonio Galdón, the president of the General Council of Industrial Engineering of Spain. “The Royal Decree requires a skilled and authorised professional to survey the property.”

The illegal assessors are capitalising on the confusion caused by the recent ruling. While a property built after 2007 should theoretically already have a certificate, this is not always the case. A certificate can only be issued by an engineer, architect or qualified technician, and such professionals must also be authorised to carry out thermal installations and building projects.

Additionally, only members of an official provincial association can issue certificates.

If you are unsure about the procedure or need further information, just contact the VIVA Vendor Services team by email to [email protected] or by calling them on +34 952 768 108.