The recast EPBD harmonises energy performance certificates around a common A to G scale. What the classes mean, when an EPC is needed and how long it stays valid.
Energy performance certificates (EPCs) have existed in every EU member state since the first Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, but they have never been comparable. A class C home in one country could perform very differently from a class C home in another. The recast directive, Directive (EU) 2024/1275, sets out to change that with a common scale and a common template.
A common A to G scale
Under the recast EPBD, energy performance classes run from A to G across the EU, anchored at both ends:
- Class A corresponds to a zero-emission building;
- Class G corresponds to the very worst-performing buildings in the national building stock at the time the new scale is introduced;
- the classes in between are distributed by each member state across the remaining range.
Member states may also define an A+ class for buildings that go beyond the zero-emission standard, for example by generating more renewable energy on site each year than they use.
Anchoring class G to the worst-performing part of the stock matters because it links certificates to policy. The directive’s minimum energy performance standards target the worst-performing buildings, and a common definition of the bottom class makes those buildings easier to identify.
What the certificate must show
The directive introduces a common template for certificates. Beyond the energy class, an EPC is expected to show the building’s primary and final energy use, its greenhouse gas emissions and recommendations for cost-effective improvements. For new buildings, the life-cycle global warming potential is added on the timetable set out for zero-emission buildings.
Recommendations are meant to be practical: which measures would lift the building by one or more classes, and in what order. The EPBD also introduces renovation passports, a longer-term, staged renovation roadmap for an individual building, which member states make available alongside the certificate.
When an EPC is required
A certificate must be issued when a building or building unit is constructed, undergoes a major renovation, is sold or is rented out to a new tenant, and when a rental contract is renewed. Buildings occupied or owned by public authorities must also hold a certificate. When a property is advertised for sale or rent, the energy class must be shown in the advertisement.
How long a certificate is valid
An EPC remains valid for a maximum of ten years. Member states can set shorter validity periods, and some require a new certificate after significant changes to the building. Certificates issued under older national scales remain valid until they expire, so for several years two generations of certificates will circulate in parallel in many countries.
Databases and data quality
Each member state must keep a national database for energy performance of buildings, and aggregated, anonymised data is to be made publicly available. EPC data is one of the main sources behind our country profiles, and its quality varies: registration rates, inspection practices and the age of certificates differ widely between countries.
The recast directive also asks member states to introduce quality control, including independent checks of a sample of certificates. Better data should make it easier to track whether renovation policies are working, a question we looked at in our Renovation Wave mid-term review.
How to move up a class
The recommendations in an EPC usually point to a familiar set of measures. Which ones make sense depends on the building, but the typical order is:
- Insulation: roof and loft insulation is usually the cheapest step with the largest effect, followed by walls and floors.
- Windows and airtightness: replacing single or old double glazing and sealing draughts reduces heat loss and improves comfort.
- Heating system: replacing an old fossil boiler with a heat pump or a district heating connection often moves a building by more than one class, especially after the envelope has been improved.
- Renewables: rooftop solar reduces the primary energy use counted in the certificate.
- Controls: smart thermostats and better hot-water controls are low-cost additions that help at the margins.
Doing these measures in one deep renovation is usually more efficient than spreading them over many years, but staged renovation is often more affordable. That is what renovation passports are for: they set out a sequence of steps for a specific building so that each measure prepares the ground for the next, instead of locking in solutions that later have to be undone.
Timing
The new scale and template apply as member states transpose the directive, with a deadline of 29 May 2026 for most provisions. For owners, the practical effect is that a building may receive a different letter under the new scale even if nothing about it has changed. Understanding what the new classes mean, and what it would take to move up one, is the first step towards renovation planning. The consolidated legal text is available on EUR-Lex.