Home inspection: Unmasking energy guzzlers

The energy supply and service company "enercity" reveals which aspects tenants should look out for when searching for accommodation and how they can identify energy guzzlers. Among other things, tenants should check the apartment with regard to the spatial conditions, the condition of windows and doors and the presence of mold. They can also find out about the condition of the heating system, the type of hot water heating and the pipe insulation. According to enercity, it is also worth taking a look at the energy certificate and recording the 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 external walls. According to enercity, apartments above the basement or in the attic may also require more heating as they can absorb cold or lose heat due to poor insulation. A simple test can determine whether windows and doors are properly sealed: If an inserted sheet of paper can be pulled out of a closed window or door, the seals are not working properly.

When viewing apartments, 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 boilers should also not be more than eight years old so that water heating does not become a cost trap. Prospective tenants can also turn on a tap during the viewing. 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 of keeping an eye on energy consumption.

Source and further information: enercity.de
© Fotolia

Compare listings

Compare