Energy performance certificate in the Netherlands
Energy performance certificate, EPC, energy label: three names that get mixed up. In the Netherlands the certificate is the energy label registered in EP-Online. What else the abbreviation can mean, what it contains and when you need it.
In short
- Energy performance certificate is the European name; in the Netherlands that is the energy label in EP-Online.
- EPC means the label itself in Flanders, and in the Netherlands until 2021 the design value for new builds (replaced by BENG).
- A foreign certificate is not valid in the Netherlands; a Dutch label is always needed here.
- Required on sale, letting and completion; valid for ten years.
Contents
What is an energy performance certificate?
Energy performance certificate is the official European name for what the Netherlands calls the energy label. The European directive on the energy performance of buildings requires every member state to issue such a certificate on sale, letting and completion. The Netherlands does so with the energy label, which a certified EP assessor registers in EP-Online.
So when a notary, buyer or foreign party asks for an energy performance certificate, they mean your energy label. There is no separate document in the Netherlands.
Three meanings of the same abbreviation
The abbreviation EPC turns up with three different meanings, which causes confusion.
- Energy performance certificate (European): the document that records a building's energy performance. In the Netherlands that is the energy label.
- EPC in Flanders: there the label itself is called EPC. It shows a score in kilowatt-hours per square metre per year and is mandatory on sale and letting. A Flemish EPC is not valid in the Netherlands, and vice versa.
- Energy performance coefficient: until 2021 the design value for new builds in the Netherlands. It was replaced by the BENG requirements. A home therefore no longer has an EPC value, but BENG indicators and an energy label.
What is in the Dutch certificate?
- The label class, from A++++ to G.
- The primary fossil energy use in kilowatt-hours per square metre per year, calculated with NTA 8800 since 2021.
- The registration date and the ten-year validity.
- The assessor who inspected and filed the label.
The label can be checked publicly in EP-Online. The page on the label classes explains what each letter means.
When do you need it?
On sale, on a new tenancy and on completion of a new building. Without a valid label at the transfer the owner risks a fine. A label older than ten years has expired and no longer counts. The page when is an energy label required sets out the rules per situation.
Frequently asked questions
Is an energy performance certificate the same as an energy label?
In the Netherlands, yes. The energy label is the Dutch implementation of the European energy performance certificate.
Can I use my Belgian EPC in the Netherlands?
No. Each country issues its own certificate. A home in the Netherlands always needs a Dutch energy label, inspected by an assessor certified in the Netherlands.
Where do I request an energy performance certificate?
From a certified EP assessor. On Energielabel24 you compare assessors in your region on price, lead time and reviews.
What is the EPC value of my home?
Existing homes do not have one. The energy performance coefficient applied only to new builds until 2021. Your home has an energy label with a value in kilowatt-hours per square metre.
Sources
- European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), the basis for the certificate in all member states.
- Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), on the energy label and registration in EP-Online.
- Flemish Energy and Climate Agency, on the EPC in Flanders.
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