Reasonable Price and Scrutiny in Home Energy Certificates
Consumer and Users Organization (OCU) raised concerns about the home energy certification process, highlighting gaps like the absence of practical recommendations to cut energy use and the reliability of heating and cooling systems as they relate to overall home performance. A study analyzing 15 professionals across two typical homes found that up to 11 percent of the specialists previously contacted by phone agreed to complete a certification before a stay in the home. Fraud remains a major challenge in this field, closely tied to real estate transactions. As reported by EL PERIÓDICO from the Prensa Ibérica group, the price war has ingrained itself in the practice of issuing energy efficiency certificates. Serious professionals condemn falsifications and low-quality operators, insisting the certificate should serve as a credible tool for assessing and upgrading the housing stock. The petition urges OCU to stand united in this effort, noting that average prices in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Seville hover under 90 euros, while in Bilbao, Burgos, and Ávila costs exceed 150 euros.
OCU, along with the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenges and other authorized ministries, calls for stricter controls on professionals issuing these certificates and for the documents to include clear improvement suggestions. Without meaningful content, the labeling system risks becoming a hollow formality that provides little value to owners who may pay well over 200 euros for a certificate.
OCU also identified substantial price variability in a separate study covering 25 cities to obtain energy certifications. The same regional patterns emerged: in Bilbao, Burgos, and Ávila the price often tops 150 euros, whereas in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Seville the average sits below 90 euros.
A Fair Price and Real Quality
An architect who specializes in housing certificates, a field that became mandatory in 2013, notes that fraud has reached alarming levels amid a price war that lacks sustainability. Regulation typically requires an inspection by the certification body with a one-hour on-site visit for homes up to 120 square meters, followed by report preparation and a three- to four-hour session that may include presenting the results to the administration, such as ICAEN in Catalonia. The typical cost for such a comprehensive report is around 120 euros, with about 20 euros covering the real estate agent’s commission and 12 euros for the official registration. Since some app-based offers start as low as 30 euros and many are fake, the risk of unregistered providers and unverifiable qualifications is high. In many transactions, formal invoices are not issued, complicating accountability.
Tinsa energy consultancy resources, which tracks real estate appraisers, found that some audits were not carried out, professional visits were not conducted to substantiate the certificates, and even some QR codes used were fake. Notaries often do not verify the accuracy of energy certificate data during property transactions. The industry consensus is that the key is to bring rigor to the energy certificate process and treat it as a technical document rather than merely a bureaucratic form. A well-constructed certificate can prove valuable for green financing or subsidized mortgages, turning energy performance into a tangible asset rather than a mere obligation.