Four things, four questions
A flat owner sometimes hears: "you have an energy performance certificate, so why do you need measurements as well?". A property manager hears the opposite: "but we did an inspection, we have everything in the paperwork". Both statements sound reasonable and both mix up things that answer completely different questions:
- Electrical installation measurements ask: is this installation safe and operational in the tested scope at this moment?
- An energy performance certificate asks: how much energy does the building or unit need for heating, ventilation and hot water?
- An installation passport asks: what has happened to this installation over the years and when are the next tests due?
- "We know your building" asks: what needs to be known about this facility to manage it efficiently on a daily basis?
In short: a single report is like a photo - 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 to it. Let's go through these four things one by one - without jargon and without scaremongering.
Electrical installation measurements: is it safe today
What they are. These are tests performed with a meter by a qualified electrician. They check, among other things, insulation resistance (i.e. whether the cable insulation keeps the current where it belongs), residual current devices (whether the protection against electric shock actually works, and does not just look nice in the distribution board), loop impedance (whether in the event of a short circuit the protection will switch off the circuit quickly enough) and the continuity of protective and earthing conductors. A report is produced from the test: result, required value, conclusion. How to read it is explained in our post on electrical measurements without secrets.
Where the obligation comes from. Article 62 of the Prawo budowlane (Polish Building Law) requires a periodic inspection of the technical condition of a facility at least once every 5 years, and a part of this is the testing of the electrical and lightning protection systems. This applies to blocks of flats, corporate buildings, public facilities and - what surprises many people - also single-family houses. The inspection report goes into the building logbook. We have described the details in our guide on electrical inspections every 5 years. It is also worth performing measurements outside the cycle: after a renovation, after flooding, or before buying a flat.
What they won't tell you. The report describes the condition as of the day of the test and only the tested scope. It does not 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 an insurance policy for the future - it is a confirmation that everything was fine on the day of the measurement.
Form: a one-off test ending with a document. It is used by home and flat owners, housing associations and property managers, and after a claim, the insurer will ask for it.
Energy performance certificate: how much energy a building needs
What it is. This is a document, commonly referred to as an energy certificate, which describes the energy demand of a building or unit - primarily for heating, ventilation and domestic hot water preparation. It is prepared by a person entered into the central register of energy performance of buildings, and from May 2026, certificates will have a new template with energy classes from A+ to G - exactly like a label on a fridge, only for the whole building. The certificate remains valid for 10 years, unless you make changes that affect energy consumption earlier, such as thermal modernisation.
When it is needed. Upon sale and rental (the certificate is handed over to the buyer or tenant) and for new buildings upon completion of construction. We write more about the rules, prices and new classes in our guide on the energy performance certificate.
What it does not confirm. Here lies the most common mistake: the certificate does not assess the safety of the electrical installation at all. When preparing it, no one measures insulation or tests residual current devices (RCDs). A building with class A may have an installation in urgent need of replacement, and a building with class F - electrical systems in great condition. Energy and safety are two separate worlds.
Form: 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 our package combining an electrical inspection and 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 kept by us of everything related to electricity in your facility. We list the equipment (distribution board, RCDs, lightning protection system, photovoltaics, charger and others), collect test reports in one timeline - including earlier ones performed by other companies - and calculate the date of the next test for each device. When the deadline approaches, we remind you by email or SMS, and you always have the documents at hand in the customer panel. It is set up in a single visit: a technician inventories the facility and performs baseline measurements.
What it does not replace. An important thing: the passport is not a document required by regulations. Periodic inspections and keeping reports are mandatory - the passport makes sure these duties happen on time and keeps their results in order. It also does not replace the energy performance certificate or the measurements themselves: it organises them.
Who it is for. For home 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 building logbook, budget planning for testing). You can find details in the post what is an installation passport and on the installation passport page.
Form: a live register - it grows with each test instead of ending with a single report. Like a car service book, only for installations.
"We know your building": service knowledge that does not leave with the people
What it is. This is our standard of service for buildings we look after permanently. For each of them, we keep a digital facility file: access codes to staircases and gates, location of distribution boards (including classic block-of-flats cases, i.e. staircase power supply run from the neighbouring segment), information on who holds the keys, and photos of the installation with marked points. The file is updated with each visit, so over time it knows more about the building than many of its administrators.
What the customer gets out of it. The technician knows the building before they even drive up to it: they know where to enter, what to look for and who to call. Call-outs are faster, the administration receives fewer phone calls "regarding letting the service in", 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 post about the digital facility file.
What it does not do. The file is not an official document and is not a test. It does not certify anything, does not create reports and does not replace periodic inspections, measurements or certificates. It is a tool for organising service - its effects are visible in the speed and quality of service, not in a ring binder.
Form: a continuous process with ongoing service. It is primarily used by housing cooperatives, communities, and property managers with multiple properties 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 happened and what lies ahead? | How to efficiently manage the facility? |
| Scope | Electrical and lightning protection system within the tested scope | Energy demand of the building or unit | Equipment, tests, documents, and deadlines | Accesses, switchgears, keys, photos, visit history |
| Result | Report with conclusions and recommendations | Document with energy class | Register with history and reminders | Record available to the entire service team |
| How often | At least once every 5 years, more frequently after modifications | Once every 10 years or after modifications to the building | Updated with every inspection | Updated with every visit |
| Form | Inspection and document | Document | Service: register maintained over time | Standard of continuous service |
| Electrical safety | Yes - this is its essence | No | Indirectly: collects reports and monitors inspection deadlines | Indirectly: speeds up service, does not inspect anything itself |
| Energy efficiency | No | Yes - this is its essence | No | No |
| Building history | No - status as of the inspection date | No | Yes: timeline of inspections and equipment | Yes: service knowledge of the facility |
One block, four layers of knowledge
Let's take a typical four-entrance block from the 1970s, managed by a housing association. See what each of the four solutions brings - and what no other would provide.
Periodic inspection with measurements showed that the installation in the common areas is fully functional, except for two cellar lighting circuits, which received recommendations. The housing association knows that it is safe today and what needs to be improved. However, they know nothing about heating costs or what happened to the installation before.
An energy performance certificate prepared for a flat being sold on the third floor showed class E. The buyer immediately sees that the heating bills will be higher than in a new building, and the seller has a complete set of documents for the notary deed. The certificate says nothing about the condition of the wiring in the walls - and it is not allowed to.
An installation passport established for the common areas gathered reports from different years and from different contractors in one place. Thanks to this, it is known that the administrative switchgear was replaced in 2021, and the date of the next test will keep track of itself - a reminder will arrive before anyone has time to forget about it.
"We know your building" means that when the lights go out in entrance B, the technician does not start the visit by looking for the switchgear. From the records, they know that the power supply for this entrance comes from segment C, they know the gate code and have a photo with the location marked. The fault is resolved before the administration would even have time to call back.
Four layers, one building: current state, energy costs, history and efficient daily service. Only together do they give the full picture.
Most common mistakes
- "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 indicated solely by measurements.
- "The measurements came out fine, so I know everything about the installation." A report is a snapshot of a single moment. It won't tell you what was replaced, when and why - that is what the history kept in the passport is for.
- "One proper document settles all the others." Each of the four solutions answers a different question. Swapping one for another is like carrying a registration certificate instead of getting an MOT.
- "We did an inspection, which means we have permanent care over the building." An inspection is an event, care is a process: reporting, fixing faults, keeping track of deadlines and knowledge of the facility between inspections.
- "An installation passport is required by regulations." It is not. Regulations require periodic inspections and keeping reports - the passport is a way to handle this obligation once and for all, rather than just another official piece of paper.
Which one to use? A quick cheat sheet
- You want to know if the installation is safe, or you have an obligation under the Prawo budowlane (Polish Building Law) - measurements and periodic inspection.
- You are selling or renting - energy performance certificate (and preferably with an up-to-date measurement report straight away, which buyers are increasingly asking for).
- You want to keep documents, history and deadlines under control - installation passport.
- You manage buildings and want a service that does not start every visit from scratch - permanent service with "We know your building" records.
These solutions are not mutually exclusive - they complement each other. Measurements say "how it is", the certificate "how much it costs in terms of energy", the passport "how it was and what lies ahead", and the records make each subsequent visit faster than the last.
Don't know where to start? Tell us what you are planning - selling, an inspection in the building, sorting out documents - and we will advise you which tests and documents make sense in your situation. You will know the quote before making a decision: book a visit online or call +48 459 566 991.
FAQ: questions we hear most often
Is an energy performance certificate enough to sell a flat?
The certificate is mandatory for sale and that is what the notary requires. Increasingly, however, buyers also ask for an up-to-date installation measurement report - these are two different documents and one does not replace the other. We have described the complete set in the post about documents for sale.
Is an installation passport mandatory?
No. Periodic inspections under the Prawo budowlane (Polish Building Law) and keeping reports 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 testing the installation outside the cycle: after renovation, after flooding, before purchasing a property or when the installation behaves suspiciously.
Who can perform these tests and documents?
Measurements and installation inspection - an electrician with appropriate energy qualifications. Energy performance certificate - a person entered in the central register of energy performance of buildings. These are two different qualifications.
Does "We know your building" replace the five-year inspection?
No. The records are a standard of daily maintenance service, not a statutory inspection. It facilitates its organisation (it is known where everything is and who has the keys), but it does not fulfil the obligation itself - that is what inspections and measurements are for.
How long is a certificate valid, and how long is a measurement report?
Certificate - 10 years, provided that no changes affecting energy consumption have occurred in the building. The periodic inspection report remains valid until the next inspection, which in practice means a maximum of 5 years - and after significant changes to the installation, it is worth repeating the test earlier.
