EFdeN and ING Bank launch the first Energy Efficiency Simulator: Quick estimates for bill savings and priority home improvements

EFdeN and ING Bank Romania are launching the first free digital simulator that allows apartment owners to conduct their own home energy efficiency assessment and understand, in less than 10 minutes, which improvements are worth making and what their estimated impact on utility bills will be.

Energy efficiency is just one click away

In Romania, according to Eurostat data, nearly 95% of people live in owner-occupied homes, and energy costs directly affect every household’s budget. After a cold season marked by high consumption and an unstable gas price context, homeowners are facing concrete decisions: which measures are worth implementing and what their real impact on costs will be.

For example, Maria is 45 years old and lives in an apartment built in the 1980s. She is considering renovation but doesn’t know which measures would reduce energy consumption the most or how long it would take to recover her investment. Without a clear estimate, she ends up postponing her decision.

What Does the EFdeN Energy Efficiency Simulator Do?

For Maria and millions of other homeowners, the non-governmental organization EFdeN, in strategic partnership with ING Bank, is launching a free-access digital energy optimization simulator. The online tool provides, in less than 10 minutes, an estimate of the home’s energy performance, recommended interventions, their impact on bills, and an approximation of the home’s energy class before and after improvements. This allows users to analyze potential long-term savings.

“The Energy Efficiency Simulator launched by EFdeN is a step toward democratizing energy efficiency. Through it, we provide free and easy access for all apartment owners who want to understand how to reduce consumption and utility costs. In partnership with ING, we are building a framework for change, where every Romanian can make informed decisions and prioritize interventions with the greatest impact.

Romania ranks last in Europe in electricity consumption per household, according to Eurostat data, which means the potential of residential buildings is huge. In the long term, through electrification, homes can be transformed into smart systems that reduce costs and balance the grid. This simulator was created to help people prepare their homes for that future,” says Dalia Stoian, President of EFdeN.

How the Simulator Works and Who It Is For

The simulator is based on the official building energy performance calculation methodology (MC-001-2022) and considers information such as year of construction, usable floor area, window type, age and orientation, wall surfaces, neighboring apartments, sun exposure, heating source, household appliances, and more.

Users enter the information in a simple and intuitive way, enabling simulations from anywhere. Concrete benefits for homeowners include:

• Approximation of the current energy class of the home (an official energy performance certificate costs approximately 200–500 RON)

• Specific renovation measures to reduce utility bills

• A long-term savings perspective

• Estimated greenhouse gas emissions before and after improvements

“The development of the Energy Efficiency Simulator together with EFdeN started from a clear need we identified among homeowners: the desire to reduce monthly costs and increase property value, but also the difficulty of knowing where to start. It is an innovation meant to bring transparency, simplification, and support to a field that, although it impacts everyone’s life, remains difficult to navigate.

For us, sustainability is a real commitment, not just a concept. At the European level, buildings are responsible for 40% of final energy consumption, according to the European Directive on the energy performance of buildings. It is important to complement the financial benefits already offered — such as interest rate discounts for energy-efficient properties or zero fees for renovation loans — with concrete solutions that help people make informed decisions.

The simulator allows us to enter a new strategic space: that of housing quality consultancy, complementing our role as a financier. We want this to be only the first step in a broader effort to support customers in transitioning to more efficient, more valuable, and more environmentally friendly homes,” said Iulia Rusu, Lending Insurance Strategy Lead, ING Bank Romania.

Romania has over 300,000 prosumers, but they represent only a fraction of total homeowners. For most people living in existing apartment buildings, the first step is not energy production but reducing consumption and prioritizing interventions that directly impact bills.

The project builds on EFdeN’s experience with the “Sustainable Prosumer Guide,” which presents how much a family can save by investing in photovoltaic panels. The Simulator expands this approach and transforms it into a free online digital tool.

The main goal of the Simulator is to reduce utility bills by clarifying the impact of each intervention. In the long term, however, the tool contributes to increasing homeowners’ energy literacy, ensuring that housing decisions are based on data and estimates rather than assumptions.

The EFdeN Energy Efficiency Simulator helps Maria easily, instantly, and free of charge understand what improvements she needs to make if she wants to reduce her bills and plan the necessary investments for her apartment.

How to Access the Energy Efficiency Simulator

The EFdeN Simulator is available at: https://simulator.efden.org/

Users can configure their home and receive an estimate of energy consumption and apartment certification class, along with prioritized recommendations and estimated savings for each analyzed intervention.

The first version of the digital tool is designed for apartment owners. EFdeN will soon launch an updated version extended to house owners as well.

About EFdeN

EFdeN is a Romanian non-governmental organization founded in 2013, active in energy efficiency and applied sustainability education. The organization develops and tests concrete solutions for buildings and communities, focusing on reducing consumption and optimizing costs.

Among EFdeN’s projects are the EFdeN Signature passive house, certified LEED Platinum with the highest European score, and a 4,000 sqm urban laboratory dedicated to education and renewable energy, developed under UNESCO patronage.

Through the energiaTa.org platform, EFdeN contributed to public and institutional dialogue preceding the adoption of the 2018 prosumer law framework. The organization’s projects have been recognized and awarded in international building energy performance competitions, and its expertise has been presented in international forums such as Horasis in Brazil.

About ING Bank Romania

ING Bank Romania is part of ING Group, a global international financial institution providing banking services to over 38 million individual customers, companies, and institutions in more than 40 countries.

Established in 1994, ING Bank Romania is currently a universal bank offering products and services to all client categories — large and small companies, financial institutions, entrepreneurs, and individuals. It is the only bank among the top 10 local banks by assets that has achieved purely organic growth, without acquiring customer portfolios or other banks. ING Bank Romania serves over 1.9 million customers across three business segments: Retail, SMEs & Mid-Corporate, and Wholesale Banking. ING’s mission is to empower people to stay one step ahead, in life and in business.