Condominium: individualization of heating and cooling consumption

Each building with central heating or supplied by a heat network must have individual meters.

This obligation also applies to buildings that have a central cooling facility or that are powered by a cooling network.

The individual meters must be able to determine the amount of heat or cold supplied to each dwelling, and thus to individualize the collective heating and cooling costs.

If the installation of meters is technically impossible or entails excessive costs in view of the expected energy savings, heating cost allocators or other methods must be used.

The emission of heat by a heating slab without possible measurement per housing is a case of technical impossibility.

The devices must have been settled by October 25, 2020.

The installation costs are borne by the co-owners of the building.

The condominium may under certain conditions benefit from a zero-interest eco-loan.

An assessment of the consumption of the amount of heat, cold and hot water in the dwelling must be sent by the trustee every month to each co-owner.

The obligation to make an assessment applies to buildings that have any of the following:

• Individual thermal energy meters
• Measuring instruments for determining the amount of cold
• Devices for the individualization of domestic hot water charges

The syndicate of co-owners, represented by the liquidator, is responsible for the installation of the device for individualizing heating or cooling costs.

In the event of an inspection, the syndicate of co-owners, represented by the liquidator, must communicate to the administrative authority, which so requests, by post, the documents justifying compliance with this obligation. In the event of technical impossibility or excessive cost, the liquidator must be able to justify it by documents.

If the obligation is not fulfilled, the administrative authority formal notice the syndicate of co-owners, represented by the liquidator, to comply with it within a period which it shall determine.

If no reply is received within 1 month or if the syndicate of the co-owners, represented by the liquidator, has not complied with the formal notice within the time limit set, the administrative authority may impose a fine on it. This may be in the amount of €1,500 maximum per year and per dwelling until the building is compliant.