Energy label when selling: why is it so poor and what can you do about it?

If you sell a home in Amsterdam, you need a valid energy label (energielabel), even for a listed building. A label is valid for ten years. If yours is poor, first check how old it is: a new label based on the calculation method introduced in 2021 sometimes turns out better on its own. After that, look at quick improvements such as double glazing, but only if they bring in more than they cost.

I wrote this blog together with Paulo van der Stelt, EPA-certified energy advisor and founder of Label & Lens (website in Dutch) in Amsterdam. We often work with him for the energy label, the floor plan and the measurement report.

When do you need an energy label as a seller?

“An energy label is mandatory when selling or renting out a property, including listed buildings”, says Paulo. “If there is no valid energy label, the selling party is required to provide one with the sale.” Without a label, the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) can impose a fine. More from Paulo: when is an energy label mandatory (in Dutch).

As soon as a seller has signed the agreement with us, we look up the label in EP-Online, the government’s official register. If it is missing or has expired, you arrange a new label during the preparation phase. The costs are for the seller and are not included in our fee.

Why does my home have such a poor label?

That is the question I get most often. “Because Amsterdam homes are often very old, the biggest difference is whether the walls and roof have been insulated afterwards or not”, Paulo explains.

Location within the building also counts for a lot. An apartment on the first floor has other homes on both sides, below and above, and those do not count as a point of heat loss. A corner apartment on the top floor has much more facade facing outside, plus the roof. “That can have a huge negative impact on the energy label”, says Paulo. So two homes in the same building can have a very different label.

Then there is the age of the label itself. Since Friday 1 January 2021, the label has been calculated in a new way (the NTA 8800). According to Paulo, older labels therefore often no longer match reality.

What can you do to improve the energy label?

When I take on a home with a poor label, we look at it in this order:

1. How old is the label? Sometimes the label improves simply by renewing an old one. If there is an E, F or G that is more than a year old, I suggest having a new label made. If the label dates from before 2021, I mention it as an option. Paulo also recommends this if something has changed in the home since the previous assessment.
2. Are there quick improvements? Think of replacing single glazing with double glazing, or replacing an old central heating boiler.
3. Does it bring in more than it costs? We first calculate what a measure adds to the sale price. It does have to remain a good investment.

An example: single glazing on the Admiraal De Ruijterweg

We currently have a home for sale on the Admiraal De Ruijterweg in West. At the back it still has single glazing throughout, and the window frames are no longer in great shape. I expect many viewers to be put off by that.

The big advantage: the downstairs neighbours had already installed double glazing, and their home was sold recently. That meant we could compare the figures one to one. An investment of a few thousand euros comes back many times over. Comfort goes up, the home looks better finished and the energy label improves. The sellers are now having the glazing replaced.

How does an energy label assessment work?

“A lot gets measured during an assessment”, says Paulo. “Every wall, every window and every panel is measured on site to the centimetre. We also look at the installations and the insulation.”

You can help the advisor by having what you have ready: floor plans of the home, and paperwork on insulation, such as invoices for roof or wall insulation or the details of your solar panels.

Because the home is measured precisely anyway, Paulo makes the floor plan and the measurement report in the same appointment (according to NEN 2580, the standard for measuring living area). That saves the seller an appointment.

Does a listed building also need an energy label?

Yes. Since Friday 29 May 2026, national, provincial and municipal monuments (rijksmonumenten, provinciale and gemeentelijke monumenten) also need an energy label when they are sold or rented out. Homes in a protected cityscape (beschermd stadsgezicht), such as the canal ring (grachtengordel), already had that obligation. Because the rule is still fairly new, sellers sometimes forget it. More from Paulo: the energy label for a listed building (in Dutch).

Listed buildings are often poorly insulated, so the label usually turns out low. Recently I had a listed building that I expected to score very badly, and it came out as an E. I sometimes see that same E on ordinary homes with double glazing. You only really know after the assessment.

Not sure whether a new label or double glazing will pay off for your home? Feel free to call or email, and we will work it out together. You can read more about how I guide sellers on the selling agent page.