Energy label of a house

What is an energy label?

The energy label provides information about the energy consumption of a house. Classes and colours indicate how energy efficient a house is compared to similar properties. For example, a house with an energy label A (dark green) is efficient. A house with an energy label G (red) is not efficient. This is useful to know if you are considering buying another home or selling your current one.

As a buyer, you can immediately see the energy quality of the house you are interested in. When ownership of a property changes, the seller is required to hand over the energy label to the new owner. This ensures you are well informed about the energy consumption of your future home.

Additionally, based on the energy label, you can take energy-saving measures, which can subsequently lead to a corrected energy label. An energy label is valid for a maximum of 10 years. More information can be found at www.energielabel.nl.

Energy label mandatory since 2015

An energy label is required for newly built, sold, or rented houses. At the beginning of 2015, all five million homeowners in the Netherlands received a free provisional energy label from the national government. When you sell or rent out your property, you must convert this provisional label into a definitive one.

Compliance with the energy label requirement

The Human Environment and Transport Inspection monitors compliance with the mandatory energy label. It ensures that the energy label is handed over upon sale, new rental, or completion of a building. If no label is provided, you will receive a fine.

What is the energy label of my house?

Would you like to know the energy label of your current or future home? You can check the energy label for free at www.energielabel.nl by searching with your postcode and house number.

Requesting an energy label for a house: how to obtain an energy label

To apply for a definitive energy label for your house, you need to schedule an appointment with a certified energy advisor via the Central Register of Technology or Woninglabel.nl. This specially trained advisor will assess the energy label of the property. The advisor determines the energy label classification based on property characteristics such as property type, number of occupants, construction period, facade, roof and floor insulation, ventilation, usable floor area, glazing, and solar panels.

Would you like to update your energy label after installing solar panels or implementing other sustainability measures? This follows the same process.

What is the cost of an energy label?

There are no fixed prices for issuing an energy label. Each advisor determines their own fees. Make sure to get informed and request multiple price quotations in advance.

Energy Performance Advice (EPA)
Would you like to know if you can save more energy? Have an Energy Performance Advice (EPA) carried out by a certified EPA advisor. An EPA provides information on the possibilities for energy savings in your home. Read more on the website of Milieu Centraal.

The following measures will improve the current energy label of your house:

• Insulating the facade, roof, and/or floor
• Installing double glazing
• Acquiring energy-efficient heating and hot water systems
• Using solar panels

Read more about the possibilities to make your home more sustainable.

Would you like financial advice on investing in energy-saving measures for your home? Schedule an appointment with a mortgage advisor at De Hypotheker.

Energy label influences mortgage amount

Since 2024, the energy label of a house affects the maximum mortgage amount. If your new home has a good energy label, you can borrow more. Homeowners with a sustainable property have lower energy costs, making a higher mortgage amount justifiable. The table below shows the additional mortgage amount per energy label.

Additional mortgage even for a poor energy label

Buyers of a home with a lower energy label can also borrow more. In this case, the opposite applies: the worse the label, the higher the additional mortgage amount. However, the condition is that this extra mortgage amount is fully used to improve the property's sustainability and upgrade the energy label.