Legislation & grants
PEB in Wallonia: read your label and move from E to C
New PEB certificate since 1 September 2026, an E to C jump required for Rénopack, fines when selling: how to read your label and where to start the work.
By the Batizzy teamPublished Updated 7 min read
For years, the PEB certificate was the document you dug out of a drawer to sell or rent. This autumn it gained weight. Since 1 September 2026, the new Walloon model sets out a renovation path towards label A, with an indicative cost estimate when one is available. And since 1 October, the label also decides access to regional aid: without a jump from E to C, or from G and F to D, there is no Rénopack. Reading it properly is worth the quarter of an hour it takes.
The label scale
The label depends on the home's specific primary energy use, in kWh per m² per year. Wallonia's scale:
| Label | Energy use (kWh/m²/year) |
|---|---|
| A++ | 0 or less |
| A+ | 0 to 45 |
| A | 45 to 85 |
| B | 85 to 170 |
| C | 170 to 255 |
| D | 255 to 340 |
| E | 340 to 425 |
| F | 425 to 510 |
| G | over 510 |
This is a theoretical figure, worked out with a standard method. It does not tell you what you pay, since your bill also depends on your habits, but it lets you compare homes with each other.
What the certificate shows since 1 September 2026
A certificate issued since that date gives, on top of the label and the theoretical energy use:
- an indicative renovation path towards label A, with a suggested order for the work;
- how the label could change after that work;
- an indicative cost estimate for the recommended work, when available (never for a flat, where many decisions are taken for the whole building);
- the share of renewable energy produced on site. If you have solar panels, you will see the real label and the label the home would have without them.
A technical annex details the performance of each element (roof, walls, floors, windows, ventilation, airtightness, heating, hot water) and shows where heat is lost. The path is generated automatically from the certifier's findings: it is a first direction, not a quote or a ready-made project.
Certificates issued before 1 September 2026 remain valid until they expire. A certificate is valid for 10 years, unless work makes a new one necessary.
When the certificate is compulsory
To sell or rent a home in Wallonia, you need a valid PEB certificate, drawn up before the property goes on the market. The only exception: a building bought to be demolished, provided the acknowledgement of the demolition permit application is attached to the sale agreement.
Adverts must show four indicators from the certificate: its unique code, total primary energy use (in kWh per year), specific energy use (in kWh/m² per year) and the label. The certificate goes to the buyer (the original) or the tenant (a copy) before signing, and the agreement records this.
The administrative fines are fixed:
| Breach | Fine |
|---|---|
| No valid certificate when the home goes on sale or up for rent | €1,000 |
| Indicators missing from the advert | €500 |
| Certificate not handed over before signing | €500 |
PEB certificate or home audit?
The certificate gives an automated picture, useful for comparing and deciding. The home audit (audit logement) goes further: it starts from your project and takes into account the building's specific features and any safety or health work. Since 1 October 2026, the audit is what opens access to Rénopack and Rénoprêt: it must be less than a year old when you apply, and it sets the starting label. Our article on the end of the Prime Habitation explains the new scheme.
From E to C: where to start
For a home rated E, Rénopack requires reaching at least C after the work. On the scale, that means going from 340 to 425 kWh/m² per year to under 255. For a 100 m² house, the gap is at least 8,500 kWh of primary energy per year, and up to 17,000 kWh for a home at the bottom of class E.
The audit sets the order of the work for your house. One rule of thumb comes up almost every time: cut the losses first, and only then size the heating, so you don't pay for a system that is too powerful for a house that has become frugal.
The roof
In an uninsulated house, it is often the first step on the path. Our comparison of glass wool, PIR or cellulose helps you choose the insulation, and our guide to insulation prices helps with the budget.
Walls and floors
Injected cavity walls, external or internal wall insulation, a floor above a cellar: the certificate shows which ones weigh most in your heat losses. External insulation is often the most effective, but also the most expensive, and it sometimes needs a permit.
Windows and airtightness
New windows fitted carelessly let air through. The quality of the fitting matters as much as the glazing you choose.
Ventilation
A better insulated, more airtight house needs proper ventilation, or damp sets in. The certificate shows whether it is missing.
Heating
If you are replacing an old oil boiler, keep Wallonia's timetable in mind: oil boilers have been banned in new buildings since 1 January 2026, and installing or replacing one in an existing building will be banned from 1 January 2031 (the burner can still be replaced until 31 December 2034). On VAT, a gas or oil boiler has been invoiced at 21% since 29 July 2025. Rénopack finances a heat pump or a biomass boiler, among other things, and our guide to heat pump prices gives the ranges.
What is coming: the announced timetable
In December 2025, the Walloon government presented a renovation timetable tied to the transposition of the EU directive on the energy performance of buildings. The decree had passed its second reading, and the renovation plan still had to be approved at EU level: these deadlines still need to be confirmed by the final texts. The stated aim: phase out labels F and G by 2035 and bring the housing stock to label A by 2050.
| Situation | Announced requirement |
|---|---|
| Purchase from 2028 | 5 years after the deed to reach D (purchase from 2028), C (from 2031), B (from 2036), A (from 2041) |
| All existing homes | F in 2031, E in 2036, D in 2041, C in 2046, B in 2050 |
The certificate is also due to be simplified, with the aim of certifying the whole housing stock by 2030. If you are buying in the coming years, keep this timetable in mind when you negotiate the price.
Preparing the certifier's visit
The certificate is drawn up by an approved PEB certifier after visiting the home. Prepare the visit: gather acceptable evidence, such as detailed invoices, technical data sheets for the insulation or photos taken during the work. Insulation hidden inside a wall or under a roof can no longer be seen on the day of the visit.
Mistakes to avoid
- Putting the home on sale or up for rent before you have the certificate: the fine is €1,000.
- Publishing an advert without the four indicators: €500.
- Thinking the certificate is enough for Rénopack: what counts is a home audit less than a year old.
- Starting work or paying a deposit before the credit agreement is signed, if you are counting on Rénopack: it can put the project's eligibility at risk.
- Losing invoices: they are what proves to the next certifier what was done.
Your quotes and invoices in one place
On Batizzy, you post your renovation project and compare quotes from contractors in your area side by side. Messages, photos and invoices then stay attached to the project: when a certifier or lender asks for proof, you know where to find it.