BER is the abbreviated form of Building Energy Rating.
It is just like electrical appliance labelling but it is for houses.
The scale is from A1 to G. Houses having an energy rating below
25 kWh/m2/year get an A1 label while those having an energy
rating above 450 kWh/m2/year get a G label.
What is a BER certificate?
It is a certificate that shows the energy rating and CO2 emission of your building.
Who should get a BER certificate?
It is landlords’ responsibility to get BER certificates for their homes which they plan to sell or let.
Why should I get a BER certificate?
In Ireland, it is compulsory to get a BER certificate for all homes being sold or let, as of January 1st 2009, regardless of the age of the building. For those who don’t get it when necessary there is a fine of up to €5,000. Failure to get a BER certificate at the proper time could delay the legal completion of a sale or rent. Only the following buildings are exempt from BER:
* national monuments;
* protected structures;
* places of worship or buildings used for the religious activities of any religion;
* certain temporary buildings;
* non-residential industrial or agricultural buildings with a low installed heating capacity (less than 10 W/m2);
* standalone buildings with a small useful floor area (less than 50m2).
What if I am selling a building from its plans?
Then you should get a Provisional Building Energy Rating.
What benefits does a BER certificate have?
As it shows the energy rating of your house the less energy rating your house has, the more valuable it will be in the market. Having a low energy rating means your building requires less energy input for standard household’s energy based requirements, such as heating.
How is the energy rating of my building calculated?
BER for your house is calculated using the Dwelling Energy Assessment Procedure (DEAP) software published by Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI).
How can I improve BER for my building?
A BER will have an accompanying advisory report. In this report you can find ways to improve energy rating for your building. These may be insulation, boiler replacement (e.g. a high efficiency condensing boiler), and using renewable energy based heating systems (e.g. a solar water heating system).
I am a prospective buyer/tenant. Should I pay attention to BER?
Definitely, yes! A BER certificate shows how efficient use of the energy supply you can make in the house you are going to buy or rent. A house with an A1 BER label means you will spend less on energy. On the other hand, the advisory report supplied with a BER certificate can be a guide for you if you want to make some remodelling or improvements in your recently bought house.
How long is a BER certificate valid?
It is valid for 10 years unless you make changes in the building that may significantly change the energy rating.
How can I get a BER certificate for my building?
We employ Building Energy Rating (BER) assessors registered by Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI), who carry out
BER assessments on existing and new houses, single or in developments.
Our assessor will assess the dimensions, fabric, ventilation, water heating and lighting systems in your building.
This will then be used to calculate an energy rating for the house. Energy ratings go from A to G, A being the most
energy efficient and G being the least energy efficient.
Thanks the Techstore Team
