Glossary
Dutch Energy Label Terms Explained
Dutch energy labels come with their own vocabulary. These are the official terms you will meet, with what they mean in plain English. The Dutch names are kept, because that is what you will see on documents and in the register.
- Energielabel (energy label)
- The official Dutch energy performance certificate for a building. For homes the scale runs from A++++ to G. Valid for up to ten years once registered in EP-Online.
- EPC (energy performance certificate)
- The European term for an energy label. In the Netherlands the official document is called an energielabel; “EPC” is not a Dutch product name.
- EP-Online
- The Dutch national register for official energy performance registrations, managed by RVO. A label only exists once it is registered here, and label class and validity can be looked up by address.
- RVO
- Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency. It manages EP-Online and publishes the rules for energy labels on behalf of the government.
- NTA 8800
- The Dutch methodology used to determine the energy performance of buildings, for homes and non-residential buildings alike. Updated periodically; changes linked to the European directive EPBD IV took effect on 29 May 2026.
- ISSO inspection protocol
- The Dutch protocol that prescribes how an energy adviser records the features of a building during the inspection (for homes: ISSO 82.1).
- BRL 9500
- The Dutch certification scheme (beoordelingsrichtlijn) for energy performance advice. An energy label may only be registered by a qualified adviser who is certified under BRL 9500 or works under a certified organisation.
- EP-W
- Energy performance advice for residential buildings (woningbouw). An EP-W adviser is qualified to draw up energy labels for homes.
- EP-U
- Energy performance advice for non-residential buildings (utiliteitsbouw), such as offices, shops and schools. A separate qualification from EP-W.
- Centraal Register Techniek
- The public register in which you can check whether an energy adviser is qualified.
- BAG
- Basisregistratie Adressen en Gebouwen, the Dutch national register of addresses and buildings. It holds official addresses, usable floor area and building use. Street and town names are always used exactly as registered here.
- WWS
- Woningwaarderingsstelsel, the Dutch points system that determines the maximum legal rent of a home. The energy label is one of the items that counts.
- Huurcommissie
- The Dutch rent tribunal. It decides disputes about rent and publishes the policy books for the WWS.
- Energie Index
- An older Dutch measure of energy performance used before 2021. A valid Energie Index can still count for the WWS.
- Vereenvoudigd energielabel (simplified energy label)
- A label issued between 2015 and 2021 without a full inspection. It may still be within its validity, but it gives no WWS points.
- NEN 2580
- The Dutch standard for measuring floor areas. The usable floor area (gebruiksoppervlakte) used for energy labels and rent is measured according to it.
- VvE
- Vereniging van Eigenaars, the owners’ association of an apartment building. It often holds documentation about the roof, facades and shared installations.
- Maatwerkadvies (tailored advice)
- A personal improvement report that examines which measures suit the home and in what order. Not the same as an energy label.
- MijnOverheid
- The Dutch government’s personal online portal. Owners can usually find the full copy of their energy label there, with a DigiD.
- ILT
- Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport, the Dutch inspectorate that supervises the energy label obligations and can impose fines.
- Peildatum
- The reference date that counts in a rent procedure, for example the start of the tenancy. The energy label generally has to be valid on that date.
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