Before and after

What an upgrade actually changes: ratings, costs and savings

Four worked examples of typical Costa Blanca and Costa del Sol properties — the rating they started on, the work we would recommend, what it costs at current Spanish prices and what it saves each year.

Get figures for your property

These are illustrative examples built from real Spanish market prices, local solar yields and standard EPC methodology — not photographs or records of named clients. Your own figures depend on the building, its orientation and how you use it, which is what the assessment establishes.

A typical jump: E to B

Where the upgrades in these examples usually take a property on the Spanish EPC scale

After

Before

Most homes we assess start in bands D–F. Solar, a heat pump, glazing and insulation together typically move a property two to four bands.

After: detached villa in Jávea before and after solar panels were fitted to the terracotta roof — After

Jávea, Costa Blanca

1990s detached villa, 240 m², pool

EB3 bands better

Invested: €21,400
Saves: €2,950 a year
Payback: About 7 years

Work included

6.5 kWp solar with 10 kWh battery
Air-to-water heat pump replacing oil boiler
300 mm roof insulation

Air conditioning and an oil boiler were doing all the work. Solar covers the daytime and pool pump, the heat pump handles heating and hot water, and roof insulation cut the summer overheating that drove the cooling bills.

Before: Estepona townhouse before and after new glazing and roof solar panels — Before

After: Estepona townhouse before and after new glazing and roof solar panels — After

Estepona, Costa del Sol

2004 townhouse, 130 m²

FC3 bands better

Invested: €14,800
Saves: €1,480 a year
Payback: About 10 years

Work included

Full replacement of single-glazed sliders with thermally broken double glazing
3.5 kWp solar
Heat pump hot water cylinder

Draughty aluminium sliders and an electric immersion heater. The glazing made the living room usable in winter without the portable heaters, and the smaller solar array now covers most of the hot water.

Before: Benissa finca before and after external insulation, render and roof solar panels — Before

After: Benissa finca before and after external insulation, render and roof solar panels — After

Benissa, Costa Blanca

1970s finca, 180 m², off the mains gas grid

GD3 bands better

Invested: €26,200
Saves: €2,300 a year
Payback: About 11 years

Work included

External wall insulation and render
10 kWp solar with 15 kWh battery
Ducted heat pump for heating and cooling

Uninsulated stone and block walls, bottled gas heating. Insulation came first here — without it the heat pump would have been oversized and expensive to run. The battery covers the evening peak and a common local supply cut.

Before: Málaga roof terrace before and after solar panels and a heat pump were installed — Before

After: Málaga roof terrace before and after solar panels and a heat pump were installed — After

Málaga city

2008 apartment, 95 m², top floor

DB2 bands better

Invested: €9,600
Saves: €1,050 a year
Payback: About 9 years

Work included

Roof-terrace solar within the community rules
Inverter heat pump for heating and cooling
Ceiling insulation under the roof slab

Top-floor apartments cook in August. Insulating under the roof slab did more for comfort than any equipment, and the heat pump then ran far fewer hours to hold temperature.

Reading these numbers

Why the same work gives different results

Order matters. Insulation and glazing lower how much energy the home needs. Doing them first means a smaller, cheaper heat pump and a shorter payback on everything else.

Ratings are modelled, not measured. An EPC is calculated from the building and its systems, so upgrades that cut demand and switch heating away from fuel move the letter most.

Savings depend on use. A holiday home occupied twelve weeks a year saves less in euros than the same villa lived in all year, even with identical work.

A valid certificate is required today when you sell or rent in Spain. There is no current law banning the sale of a lower-rated home — see the Spanish EPC guide for what the rules actually say.

See what your own before-and-after looks like

Send us the property, its current rating if you have one and a recent bill. We will come back with the sensible sequence of work, a cost range and the saving you can expect.

Request an assessment