APE Guide
When you need the APE, the Energy Performance Certificate
Aggiornata:
Written by Virginia Buccarella, architetto in Gallipoli, registered with the Ordine degli Architetti P.P.C. della Provincia di Lecce.
In short
The APE is needed when a property changes hands or changes use: in sales, in rental contracts, after interventions that change energy performance and to access deductions. It must be drawn up by a qualified technician, is valid for ten years and expires earlier if work is carried out that changes the energy behavior of the building.
What it is, in simple words
The Energy Performance Certificate describes how much energy a property needs to be heated, cooled and to produce hot water. The result is the energy class, from A4 to G, accompanied by the data that explains how to get there: insulation, fixtures, systems, exposure.
When it is mandatory
In sales, it must be attached to the deed and the class must already be indicated in the advertisements. In rental contracts it must be delivered to the tenant. It is then used to access tax deductions on efficiency measures, where generally two are produced: one before and one after the works.
When NOT needed
It is not required for jobs that do not affect energy performance - repainting, replacing a floor, changing bathroom fixtures. And it is not needed for the simple possession of a property that cannot be sold or rented.
Who can write it
Only a qualified technician registered in the register of energy certifiers. I am authorized to issue: I do the site visit, I process the calculation and register the certificate at the Puglia Region.
How long does it last?
Ten years from the registration date, provided that in the meantime no work is carried out that changes the energy performance and that the systems are subjected to the required maintenance. A coat, the replacement of fixtures or a new boiler will make it decay sooner.
What does it take to do it
You need the land registry floor plan, the inspection, the system data - boiler, air conditioners, any solar panels - and information on fixtures and insulation. If any documents are missing, I will recover them. Then you need a site visit, because the data must be verified on site.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Yes, and they are separate documents: each real estate unit has its own certificate. If a property is divided into two apartments, two separate APEs are needed, because the surfaces, systems and dispersions of each portion change, and with them also the resulting energy class.
No. The data must be verified on site: actual surfaces, type of fixtures, systems actually installed. A certificate drawn up without site visit, on documents alone, is not compliant and whoever signs it is liable.
If the works involved insulation, fixtures or systems, yes: the old certificate no longer photographs the property. If, however, the intervention was only aesthetic - floors, paint, furnishings - the existing APE remains valid until it expires.