The energy supply and service company "enercity" reveals which aspects tenants should pay attention to when looking for an apartment and how they can uncover energy guzzlers. Among other things, tenants should check the apartment for spatial conditions, the condition of windows and doors, and for mold. In addition, they can find out about the condition of the heating system, the type of water heating and the pipe insulation. According to enercity, it is also worth taking a look at the energy certificate and recording energy and hot water consumption.
When choosing an apartment, for example, the location within the house can be taken into account. Apartments that are located in the middle of other apartments do not cool down as quickly as those with exterior walls. According to enercity, apartments located above the basement or in the attic may also require more heating, as they can absorb cold or lose heat due to poor insulation. Whether windows and doors are properly sealed can be found out by a simple test: If a piece of paper can be pulled out of a closed window or door, the seals are not working properly.
When inspecting the apartment, you should pay particular attention to mold growth in corners and on the roller shutter boxes. The heating system should be checked to see whether it is a modern, intelligent system or whether the apartment still has an old system. Instantaneous water heaters and water heaters should also not be more than eight years old, so that water heating does not become a cost trap. Prospective home buyers can also turn on a faucet during the inspection. If the water does not heat up to 40 to 50 degrees within ten seconds, this could indicate poorly insulated pipes. In addition, energy performance certificates with energy efficiency classes A+ to B indicate low final energy consumption, and having your own electricity meters in the apartment is a good way to keep an eye on energy consumption.
Source and further information: enercity.de
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