From €475
Energy performance certificate in Luxembourg: definition, obligations, classes and validity
In Luxembourg, the energy passport, officially the energy performance certificate (CPE) or Energiepass, is mandatory to sell, let, build or extend a building. It is valid for 10 years and rates the property from A+ to I on three criteria: primary energy, thermal insulation and CO₂ emissions. In a co-owned building, it covers the whole building.
- Mandatory: sale and letting (without a valid certificate), new build, extension, major alteration
- Validity: 10 years from the date of issue
- Scale: 10 classes, A+ to I, for 3 indicators (primary energy, thermal insulation, CO₂)
- Issued by: an architect or consulting engineer registered with the OAI, or an expert approved by the Minister of the Economy
- Price: unregulated, about €500 to €600 including VAT for a house (public price lists of providers, September 2026); no public grant
- Penalty: if the certificate is not drawn up or not handed to the buyer or tenant, 8 days to 2 months’ imprisonment and/or a fine of €251 to €25,000 (law of 5 August 1993, Art. 20); a missing class in an advert is not covered
- Applicable text: Grand-Ducal Regulation of 9 June 2021, in force since 1 July 2021
What the energy performance certificate measures
The certificate assesses a building’s energy performance on three indicators, each rated from A+ (best) to I (worst). Its official French name is certificat de performance énergétique (CPE); in German it is the Energiepass or Ausweis über die Gesamtenergieeffizienz, and many people simply call it the « energy passport ». These are three names for one and the same document.
| Indicator | What it measures | What drives it |
|---|---|---|
| Energy performance class | Primary energy demand, in kWh per m² per year | Insulation, but also the heating system, hot water, ventilation and the energy source |
| Thermal insulation class | Heat demand for space heating | The building envelope only: walls, roof, floors, windows, airtightness |
| Environmental performance class | CO₂ emissions from the energy used | The fuel: an oil boiler weighs far more than a heat pump |
The applicable text is the Grand-Ducal Regulation of 9 June 2021 on the energy performance of buildings, in force since 1 July 2021. It replaced the regulation of 30 November 2007 for residential buildings, so the certificate requirement already existed before 2021. The framework law is the amended law of 5 August 1993 on the rational use of energy.
The classes rely on an energy demand calculated under standard conditions (climate, occupancy, indoor temperature). Two identical houses get the same class, even if one is heated to 23 °C and the other to 19 °C. That is what makes properties comparable in a listing.
When is the energy performance certificate mandatory?
The certificate is mandatory in five situations set by Article 14 of the regulation of 9 June 2021: sale, letting, new build, extension and major alteration of a building. For a sale or a letting, the obligation only applies if the building does not already have a valid certificate.
| Situation | Certificate required? | Who orders it |
|---|---|---|
| Sale (change of owner) | Yes, unless a certificate is still valid | The seller |
| Letting (change of tenant) | Yes, unless a certificate is still valid | The landlord |
| New build requiring a building permit | Yes, then an « as built » calculation sent to the mayor (bourgmestre) within 2 months of handover | The client (maître d’ouvrage) |
| Extension or alteration requiring a permit | Yes | The client |
| Substantial alteration affecting energy performance | Yes, unless works cover less than 10% of the area of elements with the same function, or technical systems cost less than €1,500 (house) or €3,000 (apartment building) | The owner |
Three kinds of sale are exempt: a sale for demolition, a public auction and a foreclosure. There is no exemption for an old, small or poorly rated house: a property rated I can be sold and let normally, with its certificate.
A sale or a letting brings precise duties: classes shown in the listing, original handed to the buyer, certified copy to the tenant. Failing to have the certificate drawn up or to hand it over is punishable by 8 days to 2 months’ imprisonment and/or a fine of €251 to €25,000 (law of 5 August 1993, Art. 20). Everything is set out in our guide to energy certificate obligations when selling or letting.
Energy certificate classes: from A+ to I
The Luxembourg certificate has 10 classes: A+, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H and I. For a detached or single-family house, the energy performance class depends on the following primary energy thresholds, set by Annex I of the 2021 regulation.
| Class | Primary energy (single-family house) |
|---|---|
| A+ | ≤ 22 kWh/m²·yr |
| A | ≤ 41 kWh/m²·yr |
| B | ≤ 90 kWh/m²·yr |
| C | ≤ 123 kWh/m²·yr |
| D | ≤ 142 kWh/m²·yr |
| E | ≤ 208 kWh/m²·yr |
| F | ≤ 295 kWh/m²·yr |
| G | ≤ 395 kWh/m²·yr |
| H | ≤ 530 kWh/m²·yr |
| I | > 530 kWh/m²·yr |
These thresholds apply to single-family houses and to the « primary energy » indicator; apartment buildings and the two other indicators have their own scales. A property listing must show the energy performance class and the thermal insulation class.
Tables such as « A ≤ 45 kWh » or « A+ ≤ 50 kWh » and the claim that « class AAA has been mandatory since 2017 » are outdated. The AAA notation comes from the 2007 regulation. Today, a new home must reach the nearly zero-energy building (NZEB) level, defined by comparison with a reference building.
To see which works gain classes and what they cost, read our guide to improving your home’s energy rating. The effect of a good or poor class on the sale price is analysed in how the certificate affects property prices.
Validity: 10 years, and after works?
An energy performance certificate is valid for 10 years from its date of issue (Article 18 of the regulation). While it is valid, it stays with the building: the next owner can reuse it to sell or let again, without a new certificate.
- After works, a new certificate is only required if the works fall into the cases in the table above (extension, alteration requiring a permit, substantial alteration beyond the 10% or €1,500 / €3,000 thresholds).
- With the Klimabonus, a post-works certificate is required anyway to claim payment of the grant for insulation, windows or ventilation (see below).
- New or extended building: a supplement on actual consumption is drawn up within 4 years, without changing the certificate’s validity.
Check the date of your certificate before putting a property up for sale or rent: a certificate issued more than 10 years ago can no longer be used, even if the building has not changed.
House, flat, co-owned building: which certificate?
In a co-owned building, the certificate is issued for the whole building (Article 14(7) of the 2021 regulation); a certificate per flat is only possible as a supplement and does not replace the building’s. For a house, the certificate covers the house.
- Selling or letting a flat: first ask the building manager (syndic) whether the building has a certificate under 10 years old. If not, the certificate to produce is the one for the whole building.
- Improving the class: insulating the facade or roof is a matter for the co-owners. Since 1 October 2022, energy renovation of common parts is voted by a majority of the votes of all co-owners (amended law of 16 May 1975, Article 16).
- Works fund: mandatory since 1 August 2023; its minimum contribution per m² depends on the building’s energy class, and the worse the class, the higher the contribution. Your building manager knows the applicable scale.
Voting rules and how works are organised in co-owned buildings are explained in our guide to renovation works in co-owned buildings.
Who can issue an energy performance certificate?
Two groups of professionals are authorised: architects and consulting engineers registered with the OAI (Ordre des Architectes et des Ingénieurs-Conseils) and experts approved by the Minister of the Economy, for a 5-year term. The official list of experts for residential buildings is published on guichet.lu (version of 21 May 2026).
You are free to choose your expert. They visit the building, survey the envelope and systems, calculate the three classes and hand you the certificate. A document drawn up by someone who is neither an OAI member nor approved has no value as a certificate. The step-by-step process is described on our page getting an energy performance certificate: documents, visit, timelines.
Price: set freely, no public grant
The price of a certificate is not regulated and no grant covers it: allow about €500 to €600 including VAT for a house (providers’ public price lists, September 2026). Through renov.lu, an approved partner expert issues it from €475 for a house. House and building price lists, VAT and worked examples: energy performance certificate cost in Luxembourg.
The certificate and the Klimabonus: why you need two
For a subsidised insulation, window or ventilation renovation, the Klimabonus requires a certificate before works, attached to the application for approval in principle, and a certificate after works, attached to the payment claim. These two certificates also prove the energy class bonus.
| Insulation class reached after works | Increase in insulation grants |
|---|---|
| C | +20% |
| B | +30% |
| A or A+ | +50% |
Condition: gain at least two classes, proven by the before and after certificates; the bonus can be earned in stages. Insulation grants, bonus included, remain capped at 60% of the cost excluding VAT. There is no rule requiring a certificate « less than 4 years old »: a valid certificate is enough.
The certificate itself is not subsidised. Do not confuse it with the energy advice of an approved energy advisor, mandatory once a renovation covers more than one element: that advice receives €1,700 for a house, or €2,000 if the application for approval in principle is filed between 1 January 2026 and 30 June 2027 (energy advice and audit). All grant amounts are on our page Klimabonus energy renovation grants, and the energy renovation simulator estimates your project.
What will change: the EU A-to-G scale
EU Directive 2024/1275 on the energy performance of buildings provides for a harmonised A-to-G scale. It has not yet been transposed in Luxembourg: the European Commission sent formal notices to Member States on 15 July 2026. Nor is there, to date, a Luxembourg « renovation passport » separate from the certificate.
Until the 2021 regulation is amended, a certificate issued today remains valid for 10 years on the A+ to I scale, and no rule in force requires works or bans selling or letting based on the class. We will update this page as soon as a text is adopted.
Getting your certificate issued
Selling, letting or preparing a renovation? Order your energy performance certificate online: an approved expert working with renov.lu calls you back within 24 hours to book the visit, from €475 for a house (apartment buildings on quotation). Free request, no obligation.
Your certificate issued by an approved expert
Two-step form, call-back within 24 hours, certificate valid for 10 years.
Frequently asked questions about the energy performance certificate in Luxembourg
Energy passport, CPE, Energiepass: is it the same document?
Yes. In Luxembourg, « energy passport » is the everyday name for the energy performance certificate (CPE in French), called Energiepass in German. It is a single document, issued under the Grand-Ducal Regulation of 9 June 2021, valid for 10 years and rated from A+ to I on three indicators.
Is a French DPE, a Belgian PEB or a German Energieausweis valid in Luxembourg?
No. For a building located in Luxembourg, only a Luxembourg certificate counts: it must be drawn up with the method of the Grand-Ducal Regulation of 9 June 2021 by an architect or consulting engineer registered with the OAI, or by an expert approved by the Minister of the Economy. Foreign certificates use other methods and other scales.
Do I need a new energy certificate after renovation works?
Not always. A new certificate is required after an extension, an alteration requiring a permit or a substantial alteration, unless the works cover less than 10% of the area of the elements concerned or the technical systems cost less than €1,500 (house) or €3,000 (apartment building). To receive the Klimabonus for insulation, windows or ventilation, a post-works certificate is required anyway.
Which energy class must a new home reach in Luxembourg?
A new home must meet the nearly zero-energy building (NZEB) requirement, defined by the 2021 regulation by comparison with a reference building. The phrase « class AAA mandatory » comes from the old 2007 regulation and is no longer the benchmark. The client sends an « as built » calculation to the mayor within 2 months of handover.
Does the certificate class reflect my actual energy consumption?
No. The classes rely on an energy demand calculated under standard climate and occupancy conditions, so that all properties are comparable. Your bill also depends on your thermostat setting, the number of occupants and your habits. Only new or extended buildings receive, within 4 years, a supplement on actual consumption.
Will the future EU A-to-G scale make my certificate obsolete?
Not so far. EU Directive 2024/1275 provides for an A-to-G scale, but it has not yet been transposed in Luxembourg and the Commission sent formal notices to Member States on 15 July 2026. As long as the 2021 regulation remains in force, a certificate issued today stays valid for 10 years on the A+ to I scale.
Do you have to pay for an energy performance certificate?
Yes, and the price is not regulated: allow about €500 to €600 including VAT for a house according to providers’ public price lists (checked in September 2026), and a price based on the number of units for an apartment building. The certificate is charged at 17% VAT and receives no public grant.