Four things, four questions
A flat owner sometimes hears: "you have an energy performance certificate, so why do you need measurements?". An administrator, conversely: "we did an inspection, we have everything in the papers". Both statements sound reasonable, and both confuse things that answer completely different questions:
- Electrical installation measurements ask: is this installation currently safe and functional within the scope tested?
- Energy performance certificate asks: how much energy does the building or premises need for heating, ventilation, and hot water?
- Installation passport asks: what has happened to this installation over the years and when are the next inspections due?
- "We Know Your Building" asks: what do you need to know about this property to operate it efficiently on a daily basis?
In short: a single report is like a photograph - it shows one moment, and from one perspective. Organised knowledge about a building is more like a health record: you can see not only today's result, but also everything that led up to it. Let's go through these four things in order - without jargon and without fear-mongering.
Electrical installation measurements: is it safe today?
What they are. These are tests performed with a meter by a qualified electrician. Among other things, insulation resistance is checked (i.e., whether the wire insulation keeps current where it belongs), residual current devices (whether shock protection actually works, and doesn't just look good in the distribution board), fault loop impedance (whether in the event of a short circuit, the protection will switch off the circuit quickly enough), and the continuity of protective conductors and earthing. The test results in a report: result, required value, conclusion. How to read it is explained in our post on electrical measurements without secrets.
Origin of the obligation. Article 62 of the Construction Law requires periodic technical condition inspections of a property at least once every 5 years, and part of this is the inspection of electrical and lightning protection installations. This applies to blocks of flats, company buildings, public facilities, and - what surprises many people - also single-family homes. The inspection report is entered into the building's logbook. We have described the details in the guide on electrical inspections every 5 years. Measurements should also be carried out outside the cycle: after renovation, after flooding, before purchasing a flat.
What they won't tell you. The report describes the condition on the day of the inspection and only the scope tested. It doesn't say when the distribution board was replaced, what happened to the installation over the last twenty years, or how much the building spends on heating. A positive result is not a policy for the future - it's confirmation that on the day of the measurement, everything was in order.
Format: a one-off inspection concluded with a document. It is used by homeowners and flat owners, housing associations and administrators, and after damage, the insurer asks for it.
Energy performance certificate: how much energy a building needs
What it is. This is a document, commonly called an energy certificate, which describes the energy demand of a building or premises - primarily for heating, ventilation, and hot water preparation. It is prepared by a person entered in the central register of building energy performance, and from May 2026, certificates will have a new format with energy classes from A+ to G - just like a label on a fridge, but for the entire building. The certificate remains valid for 10 years, unless you make changes affecting energy consumption earlier, such as thermal modernisation.
When it is needed. For sale and rental (the certificate is handed over to the buyer or tenant) and for new buildings upon completion of construction. More about the rules, prices, and new classes is written in the guide on energy certificates.
What it does not confirm. Here lies the most common misconception: the certificate does not assess the safety of the electrical installation at all. When it is prepared, no one measures insulation or tests RCDs. A building with an A rating may have an installation in urgent need of replacement, while a building with an F rating may have excellent electrics. Energy and safety are two separate worlds.
Format: a single document with a 10-year validity period. It is used by sellers, landlords, and buyers. If you are preparing a property for sale, see the package combining an electrical inspection and a certificate - two different documents in one order.
Installation Passport: history and deadlines in one place
What it is. The Installation Passport is an ENERTIA service: a register maintained by us of everything in your facility related to electrics. We list devices (distribution board, RCDs, lightning protection system, photovoltaics, charger, and others), collect test protocols in a single timeline - including earlier ones performed by other companies - and calculate the deadline for the next test for each device. When the deadline approaches, we remind you by email or SMS, and documents are always at hand in the client panel. It is set up with one visit: a technician inventories the facility and performs initial state measurements.
What it does not replace. Important: the passport is not a document required by regulations. Mandatory are periodic inspections and the storage of protocols - the passport ensures that these obligations are met on time and keeps their results in order. It also does not replace the energy performance certificate or the measurements themselves: it organises them.
For whom. For homeowners and flat owners (damage and insurer, sale, peace of mind about deadlines), for companies and managers (inspections, policy requirements, facility documentation available in minutes), and for public institutions (entries in the facility logbook, budget planning for tests). Details can be found in the article what is an installation passport and on the installation passport page.
Format: a living register - it grows with each test, instead of ending with a single protocol. Like a car's service book, but for installations.
"We know your building": service knowledge that doesn't leave with people
What it is. This is our standard for servicing buildings that we permanently look after. For each of them, we maintain a digital facility record: access codes to stairwells and gates, location of distribution boards (including the classic block solutions, i.e., stairwell power supplied from an adjacent segment), information on who holds the keys, and photos of the installation with marked points. The record is updated with each visit, so over time, it knows more about the building than many of its administrators.
What the client gets from it. The technician knows the building before arriving: they know where to enter, what to look for, and who to call. Interventions are faster, administration receives fewer calls "regarding letting in the service", and knowledge about the facility does not disappear with a holiday or the departure of a specific employee - it belongs to the company, not to someone's notebook. We write more about how this works in the article on digital building records.
What it doesn't do. The record is not an official document or an inspection. It does not certify anything, does not create protocols, and does not replace periodic inspections, measurements, or certificates. It is a service organisation tool - its effects are visible in the speed and quality of service, not in a binder.
Format: a continuous process with ongoing service. It is primarily used by cooperatives, housing associations, and property managers with many facilities in their portfolio.
Four solutions side by side
| Feature | Periodic measurements | Energy Performance Certificate | Installation passport | "We know your building" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main question | Is it safe today? | How much energy does the building need? | What has happened and what lies ahead? | How to efficiently service the facility? |
| Scope | Electrical and lightning protection installation within the tested scope | Building or premises energy demand | Devices, tests, documents, and deadlines | Accesses, distribution boards, keys, photos, visit history |
| Result | Protocol with conclusions and recommendations | Document with energy rating | Register with history and reminders | Record available to the entire service team |
| How often | At least once every 5 years, more often after changes | Once every 10 years or after changes in the building | Updated with each test | Updated with each visit |
| Format | Test and document | Document | Service: a register maintained over time | Standard of ongoing service |
| Electrical safety | Yes - that's its essence | No | Indirectly: it collects protocols and monitors inspection deadlines | Indirectly: it speeds up service, but doesn't conduct any inspections itself |
| Energy efficiency | No | Yes - that's its essence | No | No |
| Building history | No - the condition on the day of the inspection | No | Yes: timeline of inspections and equipment | Yes: service knowledge about the property |
One block, four layers of knowledge
Let's take a typical four-stairwell block from the seventies, managed by a housing association. See what each of the four solutions brings - and what no other could provide.
A periodic inspection with measurements showed that the installation in the common areas was in good working order, apart from two basement lighting circuits, which received recommendations. The association knows that it is safe today and what needs to be improved. However, it knows nothing about heating costs or what happened with the installation previously.
An energy performance certificate prepared for a flat for sale on the third floor showed an E rating. The buyer immediately sees that heating bills will be higher than in new builds, and the seller has a complete set of documents for the notarial deed. The certificate says nothing about the condition of the wiring in the walls - and is not entitled to.
An installation passport created for the common areas gathered protocols from different years and from different contractors in one place. Thanks to this, it is known that the administrative distribution board was replaced in 2021, and the deadline for the next inspection will be monitored automatically - a reminder will arrive before anyone has a chance to forget about it.
"We Know Your Building" means that when the light goes out in stairwell B, the technician doesn't start the visit by looking for the distribution board. From the record, they know that the power supply for this stairwell comes from segment C, they know the gate code, and they have a photo with the location marked. The fault is rectified before the administration would even have time to call back.
Four layers, one building: current condition, energy costs, history, and efficient daily maintenance. Only together do they provide a complete picture.
Most common misconceptions
- "I have an energy performance certificate, so the installation is safe." No - the certificate describes energy consumption, not the condition of the installation. Safety is only indicated by measurements.
- "The measurements turned out well, so I know everything about the installation." A protocol is a snapshot of a single moment. It won't tell you what was replaced, when, and why - that's what the history kept in the passport is for.
- "One good document takes care of all the others." Each of the four solutions answers a different question. Swapping one for another is like carrying a vehicle registration document instead of getting an MOT.
- "We carried out an inspection, so we have constant care over the building." An inspection is an event, care is a process: reports, fault rectification, deadline monitoring, and knowledge about the property between inspections.
- "An installation passport is required by regulations." It is not. Regulations require periodic inspections and the storage of protocols - a passport is a way to manage this obligation once and for all, not another bureaucratic paper.
Which one to use? A quick guide
- You want to know if the installation is safe, or you have an obligation under the Polish Building Law - measurements and periodic inspection.
- You are selling or renting - an energy performance certificate (and ideally immediately with an up-to-date measurement protocol, which buyers are increasingly asking for).
- You want to have documents, history, and deadlines under control - an installation passport.
- You manage buildings and want a service that doesn't start each visit from scratch - ongoing service with the "We Know Your Building" record.
These solutions are not mutually exclusive - they complement each other. Measurements say "how it is", the certificate "how much it costs energetically", the passport "how it was and what's ahead of us", and the record makes each subsequent visit faster than the previous one.
Don't know where to start? Tell us what you're planning - selling, a building inspection, organising documents - and we'll advise which inspections and documents make sense in your situation. You'll know the price before deciding: order a visit online or call +48 459 566 991.
FAQ: frequently asked questions
Is an energy performance certificate sufficient for selling a flat?
The certificate is mandatory for sale and is what the notary requires. However, buyers are increasingly asking for an up-to-date installation measurement protocol as well - these are two different documents and one does not replace the other. We described the complete set in the post about documents for sale.
Is an installation passport mandatory?
No. Periodic inspections under the Polish Building Law and the storage of protocols are mandatory. The passport is a service that organises these obligations: it keeps documents in one place and reminds you of deadlines.
How often do electrical installation measurements need to be carried out?
As part of a periodic inspection - at least once every 5 years. It is also worth inspecting the installation outside the cycle: after renovation, after flooding, before purchasing a property, or if the installation behaves suspiciously.
Who can perform these inspections and prepare these documents?
Measurements and installation inspection - an electrician with appropriate energy qualifications. Energy performance certificate - a person entered in the central register of building energy performance. These are two different qualifications.
Does "We Know Your Building" replace the five-year inspection?
No. The record is a standard for daily service maintenance, not a statutory inspection. It facilitates its organisation (it's known where everything is and who has the keys), but it does not fulfil the obligation itself - that's what inspections and measurements are for.
How long is a certificate valid, and how long is a measurement report valid?
Certificate - 10 years, unless there have been changes in the building affecting energy consumption. The periodic inspection report remains valid until the next inspection, which in practice is a maximum of 5 years - and after significant changes in the installation, it is worth repeating the test earlier.
