EPB certificate: understanding the score and its impact on property prices in Brussels

The energy performance of buildings certificate (certificat PEB, known in English as the EPB certificate) has become one of the first documents buyers look at. It does more than indicate your future energy bills. It also gives an idea of the works to budget for and, increasingly, of the property's value. In the Brussels-Capital Region, a reform adopted in 2024 also sets minimum performance requirements for all homes. Here is how to read the score, what it means in the market and the timetable as it stands today.

How the EPB certificate works in Brussels

What the score measures

The certificate expresses the home's theoretical primary energy consumption in kilowatt-hours per square metre per year (kWh/m²/year). The calculation is standardised and does not depend on the occupants' habits, which is what makes it possible to compare one property with another. The result is translated into a class ranging from A (the most efficient) to G:

• ⊞ EPB class | Primary energy consumption (kWh/m²/year)
• A | ≤ 45
• B | 46 to 95
• C | 96 to 150
• D | 151 to 210
• E | 211 to 275
• F | 276 to 345
• G | > 345

Source: Brussels Environment (Bruxelles Environnement).

The certificate also includes a renovation scenario: a list of recommended works, ranked from most to least effective, each with the expected energy saving and improvement in score. For a buyer, this section is often the most useful, as it shows where to focus a works budget.

The current rules

• When? The certificate is currently compulsory whenever a home is sold or let.
• Issued by whom? By an assessor accredited by Brussels Environment, freely chosen by the owner. An estate agent cannot act as assessor.
• Valid for how long? The certificate is valid for ten years. It must be updated sooner if works have changed the home's performance. Brussels Environment also recommends updating certificates issued before 2017.
• In listings: the energy class and consumption in kWh/m²/year must be shown.
• Cost: prices are not regulated. Brussels Environment gives an indicative figure of at least €210 including VAT for a 90 m² apartment.
• Checking: the public register of Brussels certificates (peb-epb.brussels) lets you check, by address, whether a valid certificate exists.

A point to watch: default values

When the assessor has no evidence, such as an insulation invoice, technical data sheets or site photos, they must use default values, which are unfavourable. A home can therefore perform worse on paper than in reality. Brussels Environment says as much about its own statistics: certificates are often drawn up before works are carried out and rely on these default values. For a seller, gathering supporting documents before the assessment can improve the score. For a buyer, it is worth asking which works have been carried out but are not reflected in the certificate.

The state of the Brussels housing stock

The Brussels housing stock is, on the whole, old and energy-hungry. According to Brussels Environment (position as at 1 January 2025):

• around 7.2% of certificates issued since 2011 rate the home A or B;
• around 57% rate it E or better;
• around 28.5% rate it G, which is roughly half of certificates for houses and a quarter of those for apartments;
• the average consumption of certified homes fell from around 317 kWh/m²/year in 2011 to around 254 kWh/m²/year in 2024.

According to an analysis by RTBF published in February 2026, around 270,000 Brussels homes with a certificate are in class F or G, i.e. above the 275 kWh/m²/year threshold.

The link between EPB rating and price

What the market data show

An Immoweb analysis published in May 2026 compares the prices of Brussels properties by rating, using a comparable D-rated property as the benchmark:

• ⊞ Brussels | B rating vs D | G rating vs D | Average gap between B and G
• Apartments | +5.5% | −3.9% | around €30,000
• Houses | +12.2% | −6.6% | around €90,000

Source: Immoweb, reported by La DH on 21 May 2026. The calculation is based on reference properties (a 95 m² apartment, a 150 m² house).

Two points to bear in mind when interpreting these figures:

• The gap is smaller for apartments than for houses. One reason is that, in a co-owned building, part of the performance depends on the common parts (roof, façades, shared boiler room), and therefore on decisions that are not for the individual owner alone.
• These figures are averages derived from asking prices and statistical models. Location, general condition, floor level or outdoor space continue to weigh far more heavily on the value of any specific property.

Why the gap is likely to widen

Several factors work in favour of energy-efficient properties:

• The cost of future works. A buyer who knows they will have to bring the home up to standard factors that cost into their offer.
• The end of the Renolution grants. Applications have been suspended since 16 August 2024 and, in February 2026, the Brussels government decided not to reinstate these grants in their previous form. Renovating therefore costs more today, net of support, than it did two years ago.
• Financing. Some banks offer better terms for energy-efficient homes.
• Tax. In Brussels, an additional abatement (abattement) of €25,000 per EPB class gained, with a minimum of two classes, is added to the basic €200,000 abatement on registration duties (droits d'enregistrement) when the buyer carries out an energy renovation within five years of the purchase. A buyer of a property in need of renovation can therefore partly offset the effort. The scheme is subject to conditions and requires eligibility for the main abatement.

Obligations ahead: the timetable in the Brussels Region

The regional renovation strategy, known as Renolution, was given legal form in an ordinance of 7 March 2024 amending the Brussels Code on Air, Climate and Energy Management (COBRACE). This reform introduces two major changes: a compulsory EPB certificate for every home, and minimum performance requirements.

The performance targets

• ⊞ Deadline | Requirement | Current equivalent
• By 1 January 2033 at the latest | All private homes: maximum 275 kWh/m²/year ("EPB 275 target") | Class E at most (end of classes F and G)
• By 2040 at the latest | Public housing: maximum 150 kWh/m²/year | Class C at most
• No earlier than 31 December 2045 (date to be set by the government) | All private homes: maximum 150 kWh/m²/year ("EPB 150 target") | Class C at most

Source: Brussels Environment, "Objectifs PEB pour chaque logement" and "PEB" pages, consulted in October 2026.

By 1 January 2033 at the latest, every private home in Brussels will have to consume no more than 275 kWh/m²/year, which currently corresponds to class E (Brussels Environment).

Partial or full exemptions are possible, subject to conditions, on technical, functional, economic or heritage grounds. Failure to meet the requirements exposes the owner to an administrative fine and/or a criminal penalty.

A certificate for every home: a timetable that has shifted

The timetable for extending the certificate to all homes has changed since the ordinance was adopted. Communications in 2024 referred to 2030; other sources later cited 2031. According to a legal analysis by the law firm Andersen published in April 2026, a ministerial decree of 19 February 2026 (published in the Belgian Official Gazette (Moniteur belge) on 9 March 2026) set the ordinance's entry into force at 19 March 2026. The new certification rules and the new calculation method would apply from 1 July 2028, and every home would have to hold a valid EPB certificate by 1 July 2033 at the latest, even without a sale or letting. In co-owned buildings, the co-ownership association will also have to appoint an assessor to draw up an inventory of the works needed in the common parts.

The change of calculation method planned for 2028 also means that the correspondence between a kWh/m²/year threshold and a letter may change. Implementing decrees have yet to clarify several points, such as penalties and certain arrangements for co-owned buildings. We therefore advise you to check the latest timetable on the Brussels Environment website before making any decision.

What this means for a buyer

• A property rated F or G will have to be improved by 2033, unless an exemption applies. The cost of these works should be factored into the price you offer, along with the lead times for the architect, permit and contractor.
• A property rated D or E meets the first deadline, but not the long-term target (class C). The effort is merely postponed.
• For an apartment, find out about the co-ownership's situation: minutes of general meetings, works voted or under study, the amount in the reserve fund (fonds de réserve). The building envelope (roof, façades) is often decisive in meeting the targets, and its renovation is decided collectively.
• A property already rated C or better is in principle safe from both known deadlines, which helps explain its price premium.

Reading an EPB certificate in five points

1. The date of issue. An older certificate, and particularly one issued before 2017, may no longer reflect the home's actual condition.
2. The consumption in kWh/m²/year, not just the letter. A home at 280 kWh/m²/year is rated F, but is close to the 275 threshold. A home at 500 kWh/m²/year will require a much greater effort.
3. Default values. If there are many, the actual performance may be better, but this will have to be proven.
4. The renovation scenario. It shows which works to budget for first and the expected gain from each.
5. The heating system. Since 1 June 2025, installing new oil-fired boilers has been prohibited in Brussels. Installing natural gas boilers will be prohibited from 1 January 2030 in the case of a major renovation.

This article is provided for information only and does not constitute personalised legal advice. The Brussels EPB regulations are still being implemented and certain arrangements have yet to be clarified. For a specific property, consult Brussels Environment, Homegrade (a free public advisory service), an accredited assessor or your notary.

Sources

• Brussels Environment, "Objectifs PEB pour chaque logement et exigences PEB en cas de travaux": environnement.brussels
• Brussels Environment, "Le certificat PEB d'un logement en Région bruxelloise": environnement.brussels
• Brussels Environment, "Performance du bâti" (certificate statistics, updated August 2025): environnement.brussels
• Brussels Environment, EPB page: environnement.brussels/peb
• Andersen (Belgium), "PEB Bruxelles : chaque bâtiment devra disposer d'un certificat de performance énergétique d'ici le 1er juillet 2033", 2 April 2026: be.andersen.com
• Notaire.be, "Rénovation à Bruxelles : objectif zéro passoire énergétique", 28 February 2024 (co-owned buildings): notaire.be
• RTBF, "Interdiction des PEB F et G à Bruxelles : notre enquête pointe un risque d'embouteillages des rénovations", 13 February 2026: rtbf.be
• La DH, "Comment le PEB influence fortement le prix des biens immobiliers" (Immoweb analysis), 21 May 2026: dhnet.be
• be.brussels, abatement on registration duties and additional abatement for energy renovation: be.brussels
• Expertissimmo, "Rénover à Bruxelles en 2026 : quelles aides depuis la fin des primes Renolution ?", July 2026: blog.expertissimmo.eu

A renovated home, a performance worth checking

At Living Home Promotion, we buy older buildings in Brussels and have them fully renovated by our partner Next Homes, and energy performance is one of the points to examine. For each apartment, feel free to ask us for the EPB information and the specification of works, so that you can compare with full knowledge of the facts. Discover our property projects in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, Forest and Uccle.