Energy

There is a clear need for energy renovation in the European housing stock. It is estimated that 75% of European buildings are currently insufficiently insulated. Scaling up housing retrofit works is key to meeting our decarbonisation targets, but also the best option to reduce energy bills and increase people’s comfort.

The political awareness about the importance of housing renovation has greatly increased over the past years and the issues of energy and housing are increasingly seen as closely intertwined, as shown by the appointment of a European Commissioner responsible for both matters.

One crucial step in any housing renovation project is the establishment of a clear diagnosis about the
energy performance of the property. The main tool to do so is the ‘Energy Performance Certificate’ (EPCs).

Given their important role in housing policies, EPCs have to be reliable and trustworthy. Unfortunately, many studies and investigations have revealed significant shortcomings in the way EPCs have been implemented.

That’s why BEUC, together with its members in Slovakia, Italy and Slovenia, decided to conduct a mystery shopping exercise. The results, detailed in this new report, examine whether consumers can genuinely rely upon EPCs to assess the energy performance of their home and what potential improvements they could make.

The European Commission announced wide-reaching plans today to help make consumers’ energy bills more affordable. The plans are part of the EU’s Clean Industrial Deal and were announced together with a significant scaling back of green finance rules as part of efforts to boost Europe’s competitiveness.

Heat pumps are no longer a technology of the future – they are already heating and cooling homes across Europe today. It is now firmly established that heat pumps are key enablers of achieving Europe’s energy and climate goals and in times of wars and crisis, they make Europe less dependent on foreign fossil fuel imports.

The guidelines cover topics such as:

Types of heat pumps

Steps to prepare your home (e.g., energy assessment, heat pump size, insulation)

Research tips and questions to ask installers

Heat pump placement, noise level, and electrical panel readiness

Available subsidies and financial options

BEUC developed the guidelines based on past experience, including a Mystery Shopping exercise that identified common consumer challenges. Partners were invited to review and adapt the document for national contexts, ensuring it includes the latest financial information as schemes frequently change.