Free Energy Performance Certificate? Maybe!

Written by Raúl Ferrão on 7th December 2025

Is it possible to obtain an energy performance certificate for free? The short answer is: no. But wait…

Did you know that your property may already have a valid energy certificate? Energy performance certificates are valid for ten years, so it’s entirely possible that your property still has a valid one.

But how can you check?

There is a free way to find out whether your property already has a valid certificate: by searching in the official portal of the SCE – Energy Certification System, managed by ADENE.

And although this search tool is simple, it does not always work intuitively. That’s why, in this article, we explain how to use the search tool correctly, which tricks actually work, and how to avoid requesting (and paying for) a new certificate unnecessarily.

Is a Free Energy Performance Certificate Possible?

No. The certificate always involves mandatory costs:

- the SCE (ADENE) registration fee,

- the site visit and technical assessment carried out by a qualified expert.

 

How to Search for an Existing Energy Certificate for Free on ADENE/SCE

The search is completely free and can be done here: https://www.sce.pt/pesquisa-certificados/

However, the tool is not perfect. It’s common to enter the correct information… and still get no results.

So here is a refined, complete guide with all the tricks that truly help you locate a certificate that does exist but may not appear on the first attempt.

1. Start with the minimum amount of information

The most common mistake is filling in all fields. The SCE search tool actually works better the other way around: with fewer details.

Initial recommendation:

District → select

Municipality → select

Parish → select

Address → enter only one distinctive word, e.g., “Liberdade” instead of “Avenida da Liberdade”

Leave all other fields blank. Often, this alone is enough to find the certificate.

2. If no results appear…

If the search returns no results, the likelihood that your property has no valid certificate is high.

If the search returns too many results to filter manually, it may be worth adding the building type (e.g., Residential, Commercial, Services).

Conclusion: It is easier to identify your property within a broad list of results than to narrow your search so much that the ADENE system returns nothing at all.

If nothing appears, does that mean no certificate exists? Not necessarily! You can always contact ADENE directly — preferably in the morning.

If you would like to learn more about energy certification, click here.