PENB: Energy Performance Certificate (průkaz energetické náročnosti budovy)

Who prepares the certificate and when it is handed over

The certificate is prepared by an authorised energy specialist. Under the Energy Management Act, when selling or letting you must show it to the prospective buyer or tenant before the contract is signed, and hand it over no later than at signing. The law does provide for exceptions. A certificate for an entire apartment building usually covers the individual flats too, so a new document need not be produced for each one.

As a unit owner, request the certificate in a verifiable way from the owners' association (SVJ) or, if no SVJ has been set up, from the building manager. If they fail to provide it after a written request, the law allows you, under specified conditions, to substitute statements for electricity, gas and heat supplies covering the past three years. Simply saying “we don't have a certificate” is not enough.

What a G in a listing means

If an estate agent does not receive the graphic section of the certificate, they must state the worst rating, G, in the listing. A G therefore doesn't necessarily mean that calculations or measurements actually placed the building in that class. Ask whether it is a documented result or simply a missing document.

A PENB is usually valid for ten years. It can expire sooner, for example after a major alteration to a completed building or a change in the heating system. Even a valid certificate cannot pinpoint your consumption. Two households in similar flats heat differently and use different amounts of hot water. To estimate costs, compare the certificate with previous utility statements and with how the flat is actually used.