Revalue your flat thanks to the energy certificate

In this article we tell you what the energy performance certificate is and how to save money by getting the cheapest tariff. Don't miss it!

Last January we had some good news, as the price of electricity had fallen by 2.5%. However, electricity in Spain remains the third most expensive in the European Union, behind only Ireland and Belgium. As revealed in the report published by Eurostat, Spaniards’ electricity bills have risen by more than 70% over the last ten years.

Because of this, many people are wondering which electricity and gas tariff to choose, in order to manage to reduce their energy bills. And whilst it is true that choosing the tariff that best suits us will help us to save, one of the key issues is knowing how much it costs to connect the petrol. Depending on the consumption we are going to make and the chosen electrical power or the estimated annual consumption of natural gas, we will pay more or less for the fixed part of our bill.

How can I improve the energy performance certificate of my home?

The energy certificate is a report that reveals the energy consumption and CO2 emissions of a property. Since 2013 it has been compulsory in order to advertise or sell a house. And if my home's efficiency rating is not good, what can I do to increase its value? Here are a few tips:

• Replace your bath with a shower to save hundreds of litres of water a month.
• Replace the traditional toilet with a dual-flush one.
• Optimize thermal insulation from the external facades using the EIFS system, and from the interior with injections of insulating material into the walls, floors and ceiling.
• You can replace the old radiators and the old, less efficient boiler with a new model that improves resource management to deliver the same performance with the least possible amount of energy. In this way, greater safety is achieved in your heating system and breakdowns are prevented.
• Fit double-glazed windows with PVC and aluminium frames. In addition, the glass should be low-emissivity and have solid doors so that you can connect your home to the outside.
• Change your home lighting to LED bulbs. They will allow you to save more than 60% on lighting compared to traditional incandescent bulbs. Furthermore, LED technology has a much longer lifespan, of around 50,000 hours, meaning they require far less maintenance. And as they do not contain tungsten, they are more environmentally friendly.
• Install renewable energy sources in your home, such as solar photovoltaic panels. Now, thanks to the grants provided by the autonomous communities, making an investment is much easier. You can check all the necessary requirements on the official websites.

If you also want to know how to save energy in your home, you can check the following article in order to reduce your energy bills straight away.