The Effectiveness of Energy Performance Certificates - Evidence from Germany

The study finds that while awareness of EPCs is high, they play a limited role in German home purchasing decisions due to low availability, a lack of trust, and a failure to provide the financial information purchasers value most.

• Despite high general awareness and use, EPCs are rarely viewed during the final decision-making process. While 81% of respondents were aware of the EPC and 78% used one during their search, only 35% viewed the certificate for a dwelling they were closely considering.
• The limited use of EPCs is partly attributed to their legal status in Germany, where sellers of existing buildings are only required to provide the certificate upon request. Consequently, EPCs were actively promoted to purchasers for only 24.2% of their favorite dwellings.
• Purchasers generally find the information in EPCs understandable, but they struggle to remember the specific data and often distrust the certificates. Only 44% of respondents found the EPC trustworthy, and only 20.8% correctly remembered the energy performance information (kWh/m2) of their dwelling.
• EPCs fail to provide the specific information most desired by purchasers: the financial implications of energy efficiency. The EPC was ranked as the least useful information source (6th out of 6) for conveying financial implications, trailing behind energy utility bills and site visits.
• Energy efficiency is a minor priority for home buyers in Germany, ranking 9th out of 13 measured purchasing criteria. The study suggests that the EPC's limited relevance is partly because the criterion it informs is not highly valued by purchasers.
• The perceived relevance and trustworthiness of the EPC increase significantly when the certificates are presented more frequently and consistently across all purchasing options.

APA

Amecke, H. (2011). The Effectiveness of Energy Performance Certificates - Evidence from Germany. Climate Policy Initiative. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Effectiveness-of-Energy-Performance-Certificates.pdf

Chicago

Amecke, Hermann. The Effectiveness of Energy Performance Certificates - Evidence from Germany. Climate Policy Initiative, 2011. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Effectiveness-of-Energy-Performance-Certificates.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Amecke |first1=Hermann |title=The Effectiveness of Energy Performance Certificates - Evidence from Germany |publisher=Climate Policy Initiative |date=26 August 2011 |url=https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Effectiveness-of-Energy-Performance-Certificates.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{amecke2011effectiveness, author = {Amecke, Hermann}, title = {{The Effectiveness of Energy Performance Certificates - Evidence from Germany}}, institution = {Climate Policy Initiative}, year = {2011}, month = aug, url = {https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Effectiveness-of-Energy-Performance-Certificates.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }