Anyone considering a renovation, planning a subsidy application or looking to sell their property quickly comes across the term energy consultation – and the question of what it actually costs. The good news: a qualified energy consultation is more manageable than many fear, and the state covers a substantial share of the costs. In this guide we explain honestly and clearly which services an energy consultant provides, what prices you should expect, how high the current federal subsidy is and when the investment truly pays off. This way you can make a well-informed decision without being swayed by dubious quick offers.
What services does an energy consultant provide?
An energy consultant looks at your building as a whole and shows how energy consumption can be reduced sensibly and economically. Depending on your needs, the work comprises several components:
- On-site energy consultation: The consultant inspects the building, records the year of construction, components such as the roof, façade, windows and basement as well as the heating and hot water systems, and analyses the energy weak points.
- Individual renovation roadmap (iSFP): On this basis, an easy-to-understand report is produced that sets out step by step how the building can be energetically renovated over the years – with coordinated measures, cost estimates and savings potential.
- Energy performance certificate: Many energy consultants are also authorised to issue an energy performance certificate, which is legally required when selling or letting a property.
- Construction supervision and subsidy support: For a specific renovation, the expert can plan the measures professionally, monitor the execution and prepare the required evidence for state subsidy programmes.
Important: a subsidised energy consultation requires an on-site inspection of the building. Purely online flat-rate offers without a look at the actual property generally do not meet this requirement.
What does an energy consultation cost – the realistic prices
There are no fixed, legally prescribed prices. The fee depends on building size, effort and region. As a rough guide for the German market, the following applies to a single- or two-family house:
- On-site energy consultation with an individual renovation roadmap (iSFP): frequently between around 1,300 and 2,100 euros gross, and for larger or more complex properties sometimes up to about 2,500 euros – in each case before any subsidy.
- Brief initial consultation without a detailed report: considerably cheaper, often in the range of a few hundred euros, and sometimes free of charge through municipal or consumer-oriented services.
These ranges are market values for orientation, not a binding price. Always ask for a specific, fixed-price quote – gross including VAT and with the subsidy clearly stated. That way you can see at a glance what your actual out-of-pocket share will ultimately be.
State subsidies: how much BAFA covers
The biggest lever on costs is the state subsidy. Through the "Energy Consultation for Residential Buildings" programme, the Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA) subsidises the consultation directly. The following rates currently apply:
- 50 percent of the eligible consultation fee is covered.
- The grant is capped at a maximum of 650 euros for single- and two-family houses.
- For residential buildings with three or more dwelling units, the maximum amount is 850 euros.
- Homeowners' associations receive a one-time additional grant of up to 250 euros if the renovation roadmap is presented at an owners' meeting.
An example calculation: if the consultation for your single-family house costs 1,300 euros, BAFA covers 50 percent, i.e. 650 euros – your own share is then around 650 euros. If the fee is higher, the maximum amount applies, so that your own share rises accordingly.
An important note: these conditions were significantly changed with the reform in August 2024. Earlier figures with higher subsidy rates (around 80 percent) are no longer current. As the rates have changed several times in the past, always check the prevailing conditions directly with BAFA before commissioning.
What to watch out for with subsidies and applications
For the subsidy to apply, several formal points matter – knowing them helps you avoid costly mistakes:
- Apply before you start: The subsidy application must generally be submitted before the consultation contract is bindingly concluded. An exception applies if the contract is expressly subject to the condition of subsidy approval.
- Payment to you: Since 2025 the grant is paid exclusively to the applicant. You first pay the fee in full and receive the subsidy back from BAFA after review.
- Building age: Eligible are residential buildings whose building application dates back at least ten years at the time of application.
- Waiting period: At least four years must pass between two subsidised consultations for the same building; a new owner, however, can be advised without any waiting period.
- Prospective buyers: An application is only possible once a notarised purchase contract has been concluded – before the purchase, a consultation for someone else's property is not subsidised.
Often the energy consultant can handle the application for you with your power of attorney. Clarify this right at the start so that the process runs smoothly.
Prerequisite for the subsidy: the Energy Efficiency Expert List
Not just any provider may carry out a subsidised energy consultation. The prerequisite is that the consultant is listed in the official Energy Efficiency Expert List (Energieeffizienz-Expertenliste), which is maintained on behalf of the federal government by the German Energy Agency (dena). Only experts from this list may issue the confirmations required for BAFA and KfW.
You can find the listed energy efficiency experts publicly and free of charge via the official expert search – searchable by postal code, building type and subsidy programme. Make sure the desired expert is expressly listed for the "Residential Buildings" category and the appropriate programme. This ensures that your consultation is eligible for funding and based on a recognised quality standard.
We deliberately do not recommend any particular provider. The official list of energy efficiency experts is the right and independent point of contact for finding a qualified and subsidy-eligible consultation near you.
When an energy consultant pays off
An energy consultation is not an end in itself – it pays off above all in certain situations:
- Before a renovation: The more extensive the planned measures, the more valuable the professional perspective. A renovation roadmap puts the steps in the right order, prevents costly mistakes and avoids measures getting in each other's way.
- For higher subsidies: An individual renovation roadmap funded under the programme is a prerequisite for the so-called iSFP bonus – a surcharge on the subsidy for individual renovation measures. The consultation can therefore pay for itself several times over through higher grants.
- When selling or buying: A house's energy condition is becoming ever more important to buyers and noticeably influences how a property is assessed. Those who know the condition can enter discussions honestly and confidently.
Conversely: for a very small individual measure with no subsidy involvement, a brief initial consultation may already suffice. What matters is what you specifically intend to do.
Energy condition and property value – where we come in
It is precisely when selling that it becomes clear how closely energy and value are linked: a building's energy condition is today one of the points that prospective buyers look at closely. The energy performance certificate, possible renovation costs and ongoing energy costs all feed into expectations about the price. Those who are well prepared here negotiate more calmly and avoid nasty surprises.
This is exactly where we want to be honest: the energy consultation itself is not our service – for that, the independent energy efficiency experts on the official list are the right contacts. Our role begins where it is about the sale or letting of your property. As an arm of Wolfgang Richter GmbH, we have supported owners in the Düsseldorf and North Rhine-Westphalian market for more than six decades and assess what the energy condition means for the value and marketing of your property.
So if you are wondering whether a renovation before the sale is worthwhile, or how best to position a property in need of modernisation on the market, please feel free to get in touch. We take our time, listen and advise you without pressure.
