How does that position become tangible? Simple, in February 2021, UCI (Unión de Créditos Inmobiliarios) became the first financial institution in the Iberian Peninsula to adhere to the Energy Efficient Mortgage Label and, by extension, its online financing channel, Hipotecas.com.
What is the Energy Efficient Mortgage Label?
The EEML (Energy Efficient Mortgage Label) offers several guarantees and advantages to the customer. This label certifies that our green mortgages and sustainable financing solutions comply with the strictest criteria for environmental care.
Sustainable Mortgages
This label provides transparency to consumers, financial institutions, and investors. Its purpose is to identify energy-efficient mortgages in the credit institutions' portfolios intended to finance the purchase, construction, or renovation of commercial and residential properties - whether they are single-family or community-based - with a focus on the property's performance in this field.
When you meet these conditions in the banking product we are analysing, we speak of so-called green mortgages.
What are green mortgages?
You have probably heard of this type of loan, also known as ecological mortgages. Green mortgages are financing solutions that facilitate the purchase or rehabilitation of energy-efficient homes.
The home must have an A or B energy certification to be considered a green mortgage for any mortgage loan. Furthermore, usually, they offer an interest rate discount and a lower down payment. In other words, the more sustainable and efficient the house or apartment is, the better the loan conditions.
If the property is not energy-efficient, we could also opt for a green mortgage that combines the purchase and rehabilitation of the property, provided that the renovation improves its energy efficiency by at least 30%.
Green mortgages, the cheapest
Green is a colour that is in vogue. At least in terms of its significance in relation to the planet, the way we consume, and the way we live. The renovation of the existing building stock is a significant and unprecedented challenge for Europe; a challenge that must be addressed collectively and inclusively.
In the case at hand, the rehabilitation of the real estate stock represents a real commitment by UCI - and therefore, by Hipotecas.com - to the environment. Moreover, from the customer's point of view, taking out a green mortgage may mean access to better conditions than those usually offered in a loan for the acquisition of a home for traditional use.
For starters, as a mortgage holder, you pay less interest. This represents significant long-term savings for your wallet.
The Energy-Efficient Mortgage Label and Investment
Although the core function of the Energy Efficient Mortgage Label has to do with housing, as we have already explained, the possibilities it offers as a guarantee go beyond that. Moreover, this label can change the perception of sustainable financing in Europe.
The EEML also provides information on energy-efficient loan portfolios, such as assets included in green-guaranteed bonds. It also allows a coherent evaluation and more accurate monitoring of their financial performance, thus enhancing transparency regarding climate risks.
UCIMortgages joins 'the green revolution'
With this addition that makes it more versatile, the Energy Efficiency Label positions itself as a guide for all stakeholders in this field: consumers, lenders, and investors. The EEML opens the door to the 'green revolution' that will drive a significant renovation of the housing stock, whether through financing for purchase, construction, or property refurbishment, in which Unión de Créditos Inmobiliarios, and Hipotecas.com as part of it, are already involved.
