Energy performance certificates and technical reports: what they tell you about your house

What you can learn from the energy performance certificate

Start with the address, building type, preparation date and components assumed. Do these details match the house? Check whether subsequent window, insulation or heating works have already been taken into account. If anything is unclear, ask the issuer to explain the data basis; a coloured efficiency class alone does not answer this question.

Key particulars include heating demand, primary energy demand, carbon dioxide emissions and the overall energy efficiency factor. Heating demand and assessment of the overall system illuminate different characteristics. Österreich.gv.at explicitly explains that the energy performance certificate does not guarantee a particular consumption level. Climate assumptions and reference areas must also match when making comparisons. Transfer the complete indicator, including its name, unit and reference basis, into your dossier.

Foundations: Österreich.gv.at / Bundesministerium für Justiz [1]

Why a heating bill answers a different question

The bill documents actual energy supplied during a period and the costs charged for it. These also depend on tariffs, weather, room temperatures and occupancy. A partly vacant house may consume little even though its envelope has substantial heat losses. Conversely, intensive use of a well-insulated house may produce a higher bill than expected.

Compile several complete billing periods and note particular circumstances: number of occupants, vacancy, supplementary wood heating or major alterations. Separate the energy quantity from the euro amount. If different energy sources are used, the assessment must capture all of them. Dividing a single bill by the living area produces neither a substitute indicator for the energy performance certificate nor a reliable forecast of future operating costs.

Foundations: Österreich.gv.at / Bundesministerium für Justiz [1]

Every technical document has a limited remit

When reading a report, start with the instruction, date, areas examined and investigation method used. Was there only a visual inspection or were measurements also taken? Were the attic and cellar accessible? Which components remained concealed? The wording no abnormalities on visual inspection means something different from specific evidence established through measurement. Ask about any unstated limitations rather than inferring complete freedom from defects from the document.

Foundations: Österreich.gv.at / Bundesministerium für Justiz [1]

Turning reports into a manageable investigation instruction

Create a list of observations, possible significance and the next investigation. For recurring moisture, asking about the cause and extent is more useful than a general quotation for painting. For an older heating system, questions may include documented condition, operating requirements and possible replacement solutions. The professional investigation should ultimately identify which measure is necessary, sensible or merely optional.

The Vienna Building Code obliges owners to maintain the building appropriately. For a valuation, technical urgency and economic preference should remain separately visible. A safety problem may require immediate action; a desire for greater comfort has a different timeframe. Link recommended measures to traceable quotations and the affected component. A blanket deduction for a poor energy class does not replace this work.

Foundations: RIS [4]

What to have ready before valuation and sale

The EAVG generally requires an energy performance certificate no more than ten years old to be presented in good time before the contractual declaration and handed over within 14 days after the contract is concluded. Since 1 July 2026, § 4 expressly provides for presentation and handover on paper upon request. Statutory exceptions and specific applicability must be checked for the property. Plan to obtain the certificate early.

Since 1 July 2026, sales advertisements generally require heating demand, final energy demand and the overall energy efficiency class. For older certificates that remain valid, or where there is no legal basis for the new certificate format, § 10a contains transitional rules: heating demand and the overall energy efficiency factor must then continue to be stated. Check which certificate format and rule specifically apply.

For the valuation, add the complete document and technical reports. Do not prescribe an automatic increase in value for every improved energy class. Changed usability, expected expenditure and acceptance in the relevant market must be examined. A better indicator may support marketing but does not, by itself, quantify secure additional proceeds.

Foundations: RIS [2] · Österreich.gv.at / Bundesministerium für Justiz [3] · RIS – Rechtsinformationssystem des Bundes [5] · RIS – Rechtsinformationssystem des Bundes [6]