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1. Member States shall lay down the necessary measures to establish a system of certification of the energy performance of buildings. The energy performance certificate shall include the energy performance of a building expressed by a numeric indicator of primary energy use in kWh/(m2.y), and reference values such as minimum energy performance requirements, minimum energy performance standards, nearly zero-energy building requirements and zero-emission building requirements, in order to make it possible for owners or tenants of the building or building unit to compare and assess its energy performance.

2. By 29 May 2026, the energy performance certificate shall comply with the template in Annex V. It shall specify the energy performance class of the building, on a closed scale using only letters from A to G. The letter A shall correspond to zero-emission buildings, and the letter G shall correspond to the very worst-performing buildings in the national building stock at the time of the introduction of the scale. Member States that, on 29 May 2026, already designate zero-emission buildings as ‘A0’ may continue to use that designation instead of class A. Member States shall ensure that the remaining classes (B to F or, where A0 is used, A to F) have an appropriate distribution of energy performance indicators among the energy performance classes. Member States may define an A+ energy performance class corresponding to buildings with a maximum threshold for energy demand which is at least 20 % lower than the maximum threshold for zero-emission buildings, and which generates more renewable energy on-site annually than its total annual primary energy demand. For existing buildings renovated to A+ class, Member States shall ensure that the life-cycle GWP is estimated and disclosed in the energy performance certificate of the building. Member States which have rescaled their energy performance classes on or after 1 January 2019 and before 28 May 2024, may postpone the rescaling of their energy performance classes until 31 December 2029.

3. Member States shall ensure a common visual identity for energy performance certificates on their territory.

4. Member States shall ensure the quality, reliability and affordability of energy performance certificates. Member States shall take measures to ensure that energy performance certificates are affordable and shall consider whether to provide financial support for vulnerable households. Member States shall ensure that energy performance certificates are issued in accordance with Article 20(1) and by independent experts on the basis of an on-site visit, which may be carried out, where appropriate, by virtual means with visual checks. The energy performance certificates shall be clear and easily legible, available in a machine-readable format and in accordance with the template in Annex V.

5. The energy performance certificate shall include recommendations for the cost-effective improvement of the energy performance and the reduction of operational greenhouse gases emissions and the improvement of indoor environmental quality of a building or building unit, unless the building or building unit already achieves at least energy performance class A. The recommendations included in the energy performance certificate shall cover:

(a) measures carried out in connection with a major renovation of the building envelope or technical building system or systems; and (b) measures for individual building elements independent of a major renovation of the building envelope or technical building system or systems.

6. Where Member States provide for a renovation passport to be drawn up and issued jointly with the energy performance certificate pursuant to Article 12(3), the renovation passport shall substitute the recommendations pursuant to paragraph 5 of this Article.

7. The recommendations included in the energy performance certificate shall be technically feasible for the specific building and shall provide an estimate for the energy savings and the reduction of operational greenhouse gas emissions. They may provide an estimate for the range of payback periods or costs and benefits over its economic life cycle and information on available financial incentives, administrative and technical assistance, as well as financial benefits which are broadly associated with the achievement of the reference values.

8. The recommendations shall include an assessment of whether the heating systems, ventilation systems, air-conditioning systems and domestic hot-water systems can be adapted to operate at more efficient temperature settings, such as low temperature emitters for water based heating systems, including the required design of thermal power output and temperature and flow requirements.

9. The recommendations shall include an assessment of the remaining lifespan of the heating system or air-conditioning system. Where relevant, the recommendations shall indicate possible alternatives for the replacement of the heating system or air-conditioning system, in line with the 2030 and 2050 climate targets, taking into account local and system-related circumstances.

10. The energy performance certificate shall provide an indication as to where the owner or tenant of the building or building unit can receive more detailed information, including as regards the cost-effectiveness of the recommendations made in the energy performance certificate. The evaluation of cost-effectiveness shall be based on a set of standard conditions, such as the assessment of energy savings and underlying energy prices and a preliminary cost forecast. In addition, it shall contain information on the steps to be taken to implement the recommendations, the contact information of relevant one-stop shops and, where relevant, on financial support options. Other information on related topics, such as energy audits or incentives of a financial or other nature and financing possibilities, or advice on how to increase the climate resilience of the building, may also be provided to the owner or tenant of the building or building unit.

11. Certification for building units may be based:

(a) on a common certification of the whole building; or (b) on the assessment of another representative building unit with the same energy-relevant characteristics in the same building.

12. Certification for single-family houses may be based on the assessment of another representative building of similar design and size with a similar actual energy performance quality if such correspondence can be guaranteed by the expert issuing the energy performance certificate.

13. The validity of the energy performance certificate shall not exceed 10 years. Member States shall ensure that, where a building was issued a energy performance certificate below level C, building owners are invited to a one-stop shop to receive renovation advice on whichever of the following is the earlier:

(a) immediately after the energy performance certificate of the building expires; or (b) five years after the issuance of the energy performance certificate.

14. Member States shall make simplified procedures for updating an energy performance certificate available where only individual elements are upgraded, by means of single or standalone measures. Member States shall make simplified procedures for updating an energy performance certificate available where measures identified in a renovation passport are put in place or where a building digital twin, other certified methods, or data from certified tools determining the energy performance of a building are used.