Order a demand-based energy certificate online

Joost Jansky

Energy consultant, blogger

Why the demand certificate remains the better answer in 2027

From 1 January 2027, for buildings used exclusively for residential purposes, the old link to the Wärmeschutzverordnung 1977 falls away. Then you may choose between a consumption certificate and a demand certificate for sale, letting or renewal, provided the consumption data fit. Details and limits — for example for non-residential buildings — are explained in Will consumption certificates become the bestseller?.

That is exactly why the demand certificate does not become obsolete. The consumption certificate remains the cheaper option at €49 and is likely to be chosen more often in 2027. The demand certificate remains the better choice when you want a rating that reflects building condition via calculated energy demand and depends less on current occupancy behaviour. If you are unsure which certificate type is permissible for your property at all, start with the free Ausweis-Check. If both variants are allowed and you do not know which yields the better efficiency class, the Energyausweis Smart™ calculates consumption and demand from one data set and issues the more advantageous certificate (€129).

Order a demand certificate online: price, process, documents

At energyausweis.de you order the demand certificate online at a fixed price of €99 (gross). The price is stated in the terms and conditions and in the product list; modernisation recommendations are mandatory content, and there are no hidden surcharges.

The online process is clearly structured: you enter billing address, building, storeys, building components, heating and building location. As the occasion you choose sale, letting, modernisation/extension or a voluntary issue. For building components and heating you typically upload photos and documents — floor plans, building documents or type plates, where available. When the data are complete, processing at energyausweis.de is, according to our provider comparison, often finished within a few hours; missing details delay processing because the issuer must ask follow-up questions.

Legally, price is not the only factor. A valid certificate needs a person authorised to issue under Section 88 GEG and a DIBt registration number. How to recognise serious portals is summarised in the comparison Demand Certificate Providers Compared: Who Really Delivers Legal Certainty? — this article describes the ordering process, not the provider selection.

When the demand certificate is the better choice

As soon as the certificate is presented to third parties, the decision shifts away from the end price alone. Banks and lenders often use energy ratings as a transparency signal for risk and property quality; without a solid building simulation, a purely usage-dependent consumption value is hard to interpret. That does not mean banks reject the consumption certificate across the board. It does explain why many owners choose the demand certificate before financing or sale.

Before modernisation, the demand certificate supplies modernisation recommendations and a calculation logic that maps measures on envelope and plant. Buyers and estate agents can place ratings better when the building's energy properties are disclosed rather than only whether previous tenants heated sparingly. In these cases the consumption certificate is often still permissible and cheaper — but it does not always give you a solid energy assessment.

If it is clear that you need a building-energy balance — for example because consumption data are missing or the bank and modernisation planning should read the rating as evidence of the building's actual energy properties — order the demand certificate directly. If consumption and demand can both be permissible and you want to be sure which variant yields the better class for the listing, the Energyausweis Smart™ is the comparison path: both procedures, one legally valid certificate, fixed price €129. More in the article Energyausweis Smart™ experiences.

Why consumption data can distort ratings

The consumption certificate evaluates measured consumption and usually weather-adjusts the heating share. It still mainly reflects how people live: who heats rooms strongly or keeps them cooler, who uses a lot of hot water or who spends weekends away. Two identical houses can therefore show very different consumption ratings even though the envelope is the same.

The demand certificate, by contrast, uses a calculated energy demand for the building — envelope, plant and standardised occupancy assumptions under the technical rules, for existing residential buildings typically under DIN/TS 18599. That is why it suits better when you want to compare building condition or plan follow-up measures. It does not replace the freedom of choice from 2027 and does not make the consumption certificate “invalid”; it answers a different question.

Why the software matters

Because the demand certificate is a simulation, the quality of the ratings depends on the calculation software and on the plausibility check by the issuer. The Gütegemeinschaft Gebäudebilanzierung awards a quality seal for validated DIN/TS 18599 software; the seal is a quality feature, not a legal duty. A website seal without solid calculation software says nothing about the calculation quality of the certificate. The difference between a portal seal and a calculation seal is explained in our article Energy Certificate: Why the TÜV Seal Is Not a Quality Seal; fundamentals are also in the 10-provider comparison.

energyausweis.de issues demand certificates with sealed software and personal review by authorised issuers.

How to order in a few steps

1. Open the demand-certificate order page and enter the billing address plus the occasion.
2. Capture building, storeys, building components and heating — including photos and available documents.
3. Add the building location and check that the details are complete.
4. Complete the order at the fixed price of €99; the issuer reviews the data and issues the certificate with a DIBt registration number.
5. Download the finished certificate and use it for the listing, handover or your files.

Frequently asked questions

What does a demand certificate cost online?

At energyausweis.de you pay a fixed price of €99 gross for the demand certificate. The consumption certificate is €49; the Energyausweis Smart™ is €129. Typical online prices for the demand certificate in our comparison often lie above this fixed price — what remains decisive is the quality of the software used and the plausibility check by a certified energy consultant.

From 2027, can I simply take the cheaper consumption certificate?

For pure residential buildings often yes, if the consumption data meet the legal requirements. Whether that gives the better assessment for your property and occasion depends on whether you need a usage-based or a demand-based rating. The bestseller article puts the freedom of choice in context. If both variants are permissible and you want to be sure, the Energyausweis Smart™ is the alternative to choosing one yourself.

What if I cannot decide between consumption and demand certificate?

Then separate two questions: permissibility and advantage. The Ausweis-Check clarifies the permissible frame. If consumption and demand both remain legally possible and you want to know which variant yields the better efficiency class, energy advisers with the Energyausweis Smart™ calculate both procedures and issue the more advantageous certificate (€129). If you clearly need a building-energy balance, the demand certificate remains the direct path.

Which documents do I need for the online order?

Besides billing details you need information on the building, storeys, building components and heating. Photos of the façade, windows and heating plant speed up the review; building documents or type plates help where dimensions or technology are unclear.

How quickly will I receive the demand certificate?

With complete documents, processing at energyausweis.de is often finished within a few hours. Follow-up questions about missing building-component or heating data delay processing.

Why does the software matter for the demand certificate?

Because ratings come from a calculated energy demand. Validated DIN/TS 18599 software (quality seal) and review by an authorised issuer under Section 88 GEG secure professional quality — not portal seals, layout or the cheapest fixed price alone.

Summary and outlook

From 2027 the consumption certificate becomes more often permissible for many residential buildings and remains the cheaper option. That is exactly why the demand certificate often remains the better choice: it balances envelope and plant — not how warmly someone heats or how often hot water runs.

You order it online at energyausweis.de for a fixed price of €99: building data and photos, review by an authorised issuer, a DIBt registration number, ideally on validated DIN/TS 18599 software. As soon as a bank adviser, buyer or tenant reads the certificate, or a modernisation decision is pending, that informative value often outweighs the €49 price gap.

So before you order, ask not only “Which certificate is lawful and cheap?” but: “Should this rating reflect occupancy, or the building?” If you have not yet decided on a certificate type, the Ausweis-Check helps. When the demand certificate is settled, order it online. If you cannot decide between the consumption and demand certificates even though both paths are possible, the Energyausweis Smart™ calculates both and selects the more advantageous class.