Guide
Energy Label in the Netherlands: How It Works
A Dutch energy label (in Dutch: energielabel) shows how energy efficient a building is, on a scale from A++++ to G. You need one when you sell a home, let it to a new tenant or hand over a new build.
The energy label is the Dutch energy performance certificate (EPC). Officially it is called an energielabel. It is determined by a qualified energy adviser after an inspection of the property, calculated with the NTA 8800 method and only becomes valid once it is registered in EP-Online. It is valid for up to ten years.
The short answers
- What do I need?
- A valid energy label registered for the address, when you sell, let to a new tenant or hand over a new build. Check first whether one already exists.
- What does it cost?
- It depends on the property type, the usable floor area and the location. Enter your postcode and house number and you see the total price, including 21% VAT, before you commit to anything. See what an energy label costs.
- When can the inspection take place?
- After your request we contact you to agree a time that suits you, or whoever will let the assessor in. Tell us straight away if you need the label by a particular date.
- What happens during the inspection?
- A qualified assessor records the dimensions, insulation, glazing, heating, hot water, ventilation and any solar panels. For an average home this takes about one to two hours. See the inspection explained.
- When will I receive the label?
- After the visit the data is worked out, checked and registered. There is no fixed delivery time for every home; it depends on the planning and on the property. You receive the label digitally as soon as it is registered.
- Is it officially registered?
- Yes. The label is registered in EP-Online, the national register managed by RVO on behalf of the Dutch government. Only a registered label is valid.
Check the total price for your address
Including VAT, the property visit and registration in EP-Online. No obligation and no deposit.
What a Dutch energy label is
The energy label rates the energy performance of a building. For homes the scale runs from A++++ (most efficient) to G. The class depends on the calculated primary fossil energy use per square metre, under standardised conditions for climate and use.
Because the calculation uses standard assumptions, the label is not a prediction of your energy bill. Two households in identical homes can use very different amounts of energy. The label assesses the building and its fixed installations, so that homes can be compared fairly.
In English you will also see it called an energy performance certificate, or EPC, the European term. The official Dutch document is the energielabel, and that is the name estate agents, notaries, lenders and the Huurcommissie use.
When you need one
If you simply live in your own home and do not sell or let it, you do not need a new label. An existing label may expire in the meantime. Since 29 May 2026 the obligation at sale and rental also applies to protected monuments.
Exceptions
The exceptions are narrower than many people expect. They include a detached building with a usable floor area of 50 m² or less, a temporary building used for up to two years, a building without installations for heating or cooling, and a home used for less than four months a year with an expected energy use below 25% of year-round use. A small apartment is not exempt because it is under 50 m²: the exception only applies to detached buildings. When in doubt, have the situation assessed before you draw up an advertisement or contract.
How the label is determined
A qualified energy adviser visits the property and records the relevant features following the ISSO inspection protocol: dimensions, insulation of roof, walls and floor, glazing and frames, heating, hot water, ventilation, cooling and solar energy. The data is then calculated with NTA 8800, the Dutch national calculation method.
What cannot be seen during the visit and cannot be evidenced must be entered with cautious default values. That is why invoices, drawings and photographs of insulation work can make a real difference. See documents and evidence and what happens during the inspection.
Registration in EP-Online
A label only exists once it has been registered in EP-Online, the national register managed by RVO (the Netherlands Enterprise Agency) on behalf of the Dutch government. A calculation or a PDF that is not in the register is not a valid energy label. Anyone can look up the label class and validity of an address; owners can usually find the full copy through MijnOverheid.
How long it is valid
A registered label is valid for up to ten years from the registration date; the exact end date is on the label. A sale or change of owner does not shorten it, and a renovation does not update it. If you have insulated or installed a heat pump or solar panels, a new label is needed to show the improvement. See how long a Dutch energy label is valid.
Who may issue it
Only a qualified energy adviser who is certified under BRL 9500, or works under a certified organisation, may draw up and register a label. You can check an adviser's qualification in the Centraal Register Techniek. Energie Prestatie Label A+ works within BRL 9500 for homes.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Dutch energy label the same as an EPC?
Yes. The energy label is the Dutch form of the European energy performance certificate. In Dutch it is officially called an energielabel.
Is there an English version of the label?
No. The registered label is an official Dutch document. We explain the result and what it means in English.
Can an online tool give me a valid label?
No. Online indications are only a first orientation. A valid label requires an inspection, a calculation under NTA 8800 and registration in EP-Online by a qualified adviser.
Does a new NTA 8800 version make my old label invalid?
No. A valid existing label stays valid until its end date. New registrations must follow the rules that apply at that moment.
Sources
Official Dutch sources, in Dutch. The facts on this page follow these sources, last reviewed in September 2026. Rules change; the official sources always prevail.
- RVO: Energielabel woningen
- Rijksoverheid: when is an energy label required?
- Rijksoverheid: energy label for buyers and tenants
- ILT: enforcement of the energy label at sale or rental
- Energielabel.nl: how the energy label is determined
- RVO: information for energy performance advisers
Ready to arrange your energy label?
Enter your postcode and house number and see the total price for your property, including VAT. No obligation, no deposit.