Electrical certificate (CIE) vs energy certificate (EPC): which you need

It is one of the questions we get most, especially from foreign buyers: “they’re asking me for an electrical certificate — is that the same as the energy one?”. The short answer is no. Let’s make it clear.

What the electrical certificate (CIE) is

The CIE (Certificado de Instalación Eléctrica), commonly called the boletín, is the document issued by an authorised electrical installer that proves to the authorities and the supply company that the installation complies with Spain’s low-voltage regulation (REBT).

It is usually required in three situations:

1. A new supply (new-build home or reconnection).
2. An increase in contracted power.
3. A substantial alteration of the installation.

What about a change of account holder? A simple change of holder — for example, when you buy a home with the power already connected — does not require a new boletín: if the technical conditions — such as the power — and the tariff stay the same, the distributor cannot ask for one, even on a contract more than 20 years old (Royal Decree 88/2026, art. 39.6). The full process is in our guide to changing the electricity account holder after buying.

The boletín does not “expire” after 20 years. That age refers to the supply contract and only matters when you ask for more power: the distributor then inspects the installation and, if it does not comply, requires it to be upgraded and a new boletín issued (Royal Decree 88/2026, art. 38.7).

What the energy performance certificate is

The energy performance certificate (CEE / EPC) is something else entirely. It rates the home’s energy use with a letter from A (most efficient) to G, and is signed by a qualified technician (architect or engineer), not an electrical installer.

It is required to sell or rent a property and must appear in the listing. It says nothing about whether the electrical installation is safe: it measures insulation, climate control, consumption — the building’s energy behaviour.

So which do I need?

	Electrical certificate (CIE)	Energy certificate (CEE/EPC)
What it proves	The electrical installation meets the REBT	The home’s energy use (A–G)
Who signs it	Authorised installer	Architect or engineer
When	New supply, +power, alteration	Selling or renting

When buying a villa, the energy certificate is mandatory; the boletín is not required for the change of account holder, although buyers often ask for one to know the state of the wiring. If you are renovating, connecting a new supply or increasing the power, the one you need is the boletín (CIE).

What if I’m planning solar panels?

Two things get confused here, and it’s worth separating them. The CIE certifies your electrical installation, not the solar one: a self-consumption system has its own registration process with the grid operator and its own technical paperwork.

Where they do meet is the starting point. Before anything is connected to the roof, someone has to look at the consumer unit, the protective devices and the earthing of the villa. If that part isn’t compliant — common in villas built in the eighties and nineties, as we explain when rewiring an old villa — it gets corrected and certified with the CIE before installation begins. Reaching the end of the process only to find the consumer unit can’t take the load is the expensive order of doing things.

The panels are installed by Solar Master, the other brand run by the same team. We bring the electrical installation up to standard and issue the CIE; they handle the solar side and its registration.

How we help

As authorised installers, we issue the CIE when the installation requires it and leave everything in order with the supply company. If the installation needs adjustments to meet the regulation (panel, protective devices, earthing), we resolve it before certifying.

See our electrical installations for villas or tell us about your case and we’ll tell you exactly which document you need. We handle it across the Costa del Sol, from Marbella to property sales in Mijas.