Energy performance certificates in Portugal: tips on how to avoid fraud

In Portugal the energy performance certificate has become an essential and mandatory document when selling, buying or renting a house, as well as to access tax benefits and financial support to make homes more efficient. As such, requesting this document has become increasingly common in recent years. And it is therefore important to know exactly what to do when obtaining an energy certificate, to avoid fraud and hassle. We explain everything in this article prepared by idealista/news based on explanations from Deco Proteste and ADENE, the managing entity of the System of Energy Certification of Buildings (SCE).

What do you need to consider before applying? Pexels

What needs to be taken into account?

To get a valid and trouble-free energy certificate, you should follow these six steps very carefully:

1. Choose an expert: first things first you should search for a qualified expert that operates in your area on the SCE portal. And then, ADENE and Deco Proteste recommend that you request more than one estimate, since both the deadline and the price may vary, but not too much. If the price is too low, you should be suspicious.
2. Ask for the identification of the expert: note that the visit of the expert to the property is compulsory, so you must first of all gather together all the documentation relating to your house (such as the floor plan, caderneta predial, certificate of registration at the conservatory, technical file of the house). And don't forget to ask for the identification of the qualified expert during the visit, which will be his professional card issued by ADENE.
3. Validate the declaration: in parallel, you should validate the information in the Declaration of the Certification Process, which has to be signed by the qualified expert and the owner, and where the information considered (and respective evidences) for the purpose of issuing the energy certificate are included, according to ADENE.
4. Accompany the visit: it is also important that you facilitate the visit and accompany the technician to all the spaces of the property, thus following the whole process.
5. Request the preliminary version of the certificate: at the end, you can request a preliminary version of the certificate to check the work of the expert, as well as the data in the document, before the official certificate is issued.
6. Check validity of the certificate: after the document is issued, you can check its validity by consulting its number on the SCE portal and confirming that the data is consistent and relates to the property in question. You should also request the delivery of the expert's report, complementary to the certificate, which should also have information consistent with the certified property, adds ADENE.

Follow those steps to avoid potential problems Pexels

Fraud: what are the warning signs?

When asked by idealista/news, Deco Proteste stated that the "majority of frauds are related to experts who act without being properly qualified for the purpose". But they also point out that this is an "avoidable situation" - all that's needed is to consult the list of qualified experts available on the SCE portal. If the name of the professional is not on this list, one should be alert.

Another factor that should cause suspicion are experts offering a quote with a price that seems far too low, because they may indicate a situation of potential fraud. "Remember that the price of the services should correspond to the value and quality that the expert gives to the work", so that "a strangely reduced price may serve as mere bait", warns Deco Proteste. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is!

Note that if the technician is predisposed to "issue the certificate without previous documentation and/or without a visit, or with a merely partial visit, it could be a sign that something is not right", Deco also reminds us. This is also why it is important to follow the whole process, so that there are no doubts.

Be on the lookout for signs of fraud Pexels

And if I detect an illegal situation, what should I do?

If when you analyse the final energy certificate you detect any incorrect information or if you are dissatisfied with the professional's actions, you can and should complain to ADENE, recommends Deco Proteste.

If you think you've been the victim of fraud or any other type of crime when the energy certificate is issued, you can also report it to the authorities, says Deco Proteste. Note that you can now do this without going to the police station, as the Electronic Complaint System (SQE) allows you to file complaints and reports online, and they are forwarded to the competent authority. Although it doesn't cover all types of crime, fraud is one of the crimes included in the SQE. If you prefer though, you can do it in person, with the police authorities and the Public Prosecutor's Office.

If you suspect fraud, you should report it Pexels