I am sure that all who are hoping to move to Portugal or buy in Portugal are aware that in the UK, France and Germany (to name just a few) one is required to have an EPC (energy performance certificate) BEFORE putting your home on the market. This, I understand, is an EC regulation updated with greater fines etc. as of April 2012. As Portugal are members of the EC. shouldn't all properties be handled the same as all other EC countries in that the certificate should be advertised at the same time as the property is marketed? I have not seen one property advertised for sale with an EPC and graph....EPC's are completely stupid and another expense, but how is the Portuguese Government getting round ignoring Brussells.

It's Portugal,they ignore most directives.

My understanding is that the certificate is required, but not at the advertising stage.
For instance, my place has been for sale for 2 or 3 years already; during that time, I've made lots of energy improvements. My certificate would need to be redone at least every year.
And I don't really expect to sell for years to come, when the economy recovers.

The last four words in the paragraph above were meant as a joke...

I know this is really boring but it might effect you.

Spain have been hauled up before the EC commission earlier this year for NOT enforcing the EPC regulations and I believe have been informed they are to implement or face a huge fine against the government there.

However, Spain is Spain and I am very keen on PT, therefore for me there is a much more serious implication here to existing owners and (hopefully) new owners like me and the Mrs.... as follows:

I am assuming that if EPC's were being done in Portugal, then the certificate would also cover the AIR CONDITIONING. As there are new regulations governing gases in refrigerants, it could mean that by 2015, a very large percentage of existing air conditioning units will be rendered as USELESS if they go wrong or need servicing An extra if you have already paid extra for your PT property, because it has air con installed. That could prove to be a very large extra outlay not envisaged and for those wishing to possibly get a licence to rent out their holiday home....well that could be an easy way for PT government to uphold the law.

This is all rather worrying after having looked on other forums regarding Air con replacement costs.

sunniest; the energy certificates are about energy efficiency, not the refrigerant gas used.
Older units with R12 haven't been sold for a while; almost everything has the new gas r134a, which is available for repair and service.
The energy audit will [I'm told] take into account the efficiency of all the appliances in the house, and the house insulation etc. An older house doesn't have to conform to any particular efficiency standard, but the buyer has to be informed about what the overall efficiency is.
New builds, if there ever are any in future*, will have to meet a defined standard.





*HAHAHAHAHAHA
Sorry, I'm getting a bit hysterical.

Portugal don't ignore Brussels - you can buy them in the supermarket
Regarding the certificats, they're mandatory here, you have to give them to the buyer before the final contract can be signed.
They're valid for 10 years.
Another totally meaningless piece of Euro nonsense - C'est la vie (as the Portuguese Euro-politicians say)

Don't worry a very small brown envelope will sort it all out in any Southern European country.

The small brown envelope might have worked a while ago but it wont anymore. Take a look at(SNIP) there is lots of info on there about the energy performance certificates or look on the polaris world forums or the la torre forum. It looks like they are here to stay

We have our house on the market in UK and an EPC is required when you put the house up for sale.

Although the EPC may show a property as not at a high level of being energy efficient, it doesn't stop you selling, just that propective purchasers must know the performance figures when they buy.

The EPC covers not only the build, but also the efficiency of appropriate fixed installations, i.e. central heating, air conditioning, built in cookers & the insulation levels.

That is correct and no house can fail, its just that some get lower ratings than others

I resent that. Paying bribes probably works where you are. but don't go tarring all Portuguese with this insinuation for being corrupt.

I have an old property on the market and the estate agents have just told me an energy certificate is now needed (the law is Decreto Lei 118/2013 , 20 of August).
Does anyone know how this applies to old property and if it applies if it's sold as a 'ruin'?
thanks

AndyD 8-)#

There's a group of Brits around Ourique arranging for a guy to come and do their properties as a job lot, but still expected to be about €300 each. Not bad for a days effort, especially in PT.

From December 1st 2013 all properties for sale will require an energy certificate as soon as they are advertised for sale. The fines for not having one are excessive, up to 5.000€ for the vendor and up to 40.000€ for the agent.

I had to have one when I sold in Tavira, cost about 250 euros and it was money for nothing, but that was the law Joao