In Belgium, the energy performance of buildings is a regional competence. The result: there is not one EPC certificate but three, one for Brussels, one for Wallonia and one for Flanders, each with its own software, its own scale of classes, its own obligations and its own renovation calendar. A buyer comparing a house in Uccle, another in Waterloo and a third in Halle is therefore comparing letters that do not mean the same thing. Here is what you need to know, with the official figures.
All three regions express the result in kWh of primary energy per m² per year. But the letters are assigned according to different thresholds. Brussels Environment explains it itself: each region had to build its scale "according to the average performance of its own building stock". Here are the thresholds as printed on the official certificates (kWh/m²/year):
| Class | Brussels | Wallonia | Flanders |
|---|---|---|---|
| A++ | — | ≤ 0 | — |
| A+ | — | 1 – 45 | ≤ 0 |
| A | ≤ 45 | 46 – 85 | 1 – 100 |
| B | 46 – 95 | 86 – 170 | 101 – 200 |
| C | 96 – 150 | 171 – 255 | 201 – 300 |
| D | 151 – 210 | 256 – 340 | 301 – 400 |
| E | 211 – 275 | 341 – 425 | 401 – 500 |
| F | 276 – 345 | 426 – 510 | > 500 |
| G | > 345 | > 510 | — |
Three differences stand out: Wallonia has 9 classes (A++ to G), Flanders 7 (A+ to F, no G), Brussels 7 (A to G). Above all, class A stops at 45 kWh/m²/year in Brussels, at 85 in Wallonia and at 100 in Flanders.
Take a flat whose calculated consumption is 200 kWh/m²/year:
At 300 kWh/m²/year the gap is even more striking: F in Brussels (an "energy sieve" that must be renovated before 2033), D in Wallonia, C in Flanders. The home has not changed; only the label has.
⚠️ Never compare two letters from different regions. Even the figure in kWh/m²/year is not strictly comparable: the three regions use different software and calculation conventions (conversion factors, floor areas taken into account, default values). To compare two properties, compare them within the same region, with a certificate from that region.
The certificate must be drawn up by a certifier accredited by the region where the property is located: Brussels Environment in Brussels, the SPW Énergie in Wallonia, the Flemish Energy and Climate Agency (VEKA) in Flanders. A certifier accredited in Brussels cannot certify a house in Waterloo, and vice versa. A Walloon or Flemish certificate has no value for selling or renting out a Brussels home.
Common to all three regions: the certificate is valid for 10 years, unless it is revoked or works change the performance of the property, and it is mandatory as soon as the property is put up for sale or rent, with the energy class shown in the advertisement.
| Region | What is in force or decided (October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Brussels | Target for all homes: 275 kWh/m²/year maximum by 1 January 2033 (class E at least, end of classes F and G), then 150 kWh/m²/year (class C) no earlier than 31 December 2045, final date to be set by the Government. The ordinance adopted in 2024 also provides that a certificate be drawn up for every home, including owner-occupied ones; the entry into force of that part depends on a Government decree. |
| Flanders | The only region where an obligation already applies to buyers: whoever buys a home with label E or F must renovate it to at least label D within 6 years of the deed (deadline extended from 5 to 6 years on 1 January 2026). A later tightening towards labels C, B and A was written into the regulations; the Flemish government has announced it is dropping it and sticking to label D. Check the state of the legislation at the time of your purchase. |
| Wallonia | No label-linked renovation obligation is in force today. The Walloon Government has announced a calendar for buyers: 5 years after the deed to reach label D (purchase from 2028), C (from 2031), B (from 2036), A (from 2041). The decree implementing it was at second reading in 2026. |
For expats and buyers moving between regions: the label you know from your previous house in Flanders or Wallonia tells you nothing about what a Brussels property will get. Start by getting the Brussels scale explained, our complete guide for expats does that, and above all look at where the property stands against the 275 and 150 kWh/m²/year thresholds, which determine the mandatory works to come.
Expert-PEB is accredited by Brussels Environment (CREPP-001117156) and works in the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, and only there. If you are selling or renting out a Brussels property, you need a Brussels certificate, produced with the region's official software. And if your property comes out as F or G on the Brussels scale, the 2033 countdown applies to you. See our guide to the Brussels EPC reform 2033.
Accredited since 2011, more than 1,650 certificates issued, official report in 3-4 working days.
Book my visit →Official sources: template of the Brussels EPC certificate (A–G scale, page 1) · Brussels Environment, "Le résultat du certificat PEB" (Jan. 2025) · EPC targets for every home (2033 / 2045) · "Fin programmée des passoires énergétiques" (2024) · Vlaanderen.be, EPC for a dwelling · Vlaanderen.be, renovation obligation for residential buildings · Wallonie.be, "Le certificat PEB évolue" (Sept. 2026) · Wallonie.be, "Rénovation du bâti wallon : un cadre global pour atteindre la PEB A en 2050"; Walloon thresholds taken from official Walloon EPC certificates. Article written on 4 October 2026; the Flemish and Walloon calendars are evolving, check the legislation in force before any decision.
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