Building Energy Rating (BER) Certificates

SEI Ray White
  • From 1st January 2009, a BER Certificate is compulsory for all houses being offered for sale or rent.
  • A Seller/Landlord has a legal obligation to provide a BER Certificate to prospective buyers or tenants.
BER Certificates for Selling Renting Building

What is a BER Cert?

BER stands for Building Energy Rating. A BER Cert is an energy label for a building similar to energy labels for domestic electrical appliances. A BER Cert measures how much energy your house uses and how much carbon it produces over a year. The label indicates the energy rating of a property and is expressed in the form of performance bands with 'A' being the most energy efficient and 'G' being the least energy efficient. The SEI (Sustainable Energy Ireland) is the issuing authority for the certification.

What properties require a BER Cert?

  • All new homes where planning permission was applied for on or after the 1st January 2007 will require a BER Certificate.
  • All new commercial (including public service) buildings on or after the 1st July 2008 will require a BER Certificate.
  • All existing residential dwellings offered for sale or rent on or after the 1st January 2009 will require a BER Certificate.

Exempt Properties

  • Protected Structures
  • National Monuments
  • Buildings used as places of worship
  • Temporary buildings
  • Industrial/agricultural buildings
  • Small stand alone buildings not exceeding 50m2

Reasons to get a BER Cert

  • BER Cert is a legal requirement and must be attached to title deeds
  • A sale/rental transaction can not be completed without a BER Cert
  • Penalties for non-compliance with regulations include fines of up to €5000, imprisonment for up to 3 months or both

How is a BER Cert carried out?

A BER is based on the characteristics of major components of the dwelling (wall, roof & floor dimensions, window & door sizes and orientations) as well as the construction type, levels of insulation, ventilation, air tightness features, the systems for heat supply (including renewable energy), distribution & control, and the type of lighting. It covers annual energy use for space heating, water heating, ventilation, lighting, associated pumps and fans, calculated on the basis of a notional standard family with a standard pattern of occupancy. A BER is only an indication of the energy performance of a house. Actual energy usage will depend on how the occupants operate the house.

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BER Certificate Example - Explained

BER Certificate Example - Explained

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How long will a BER Cert remain valid?

A BER Cert for a building will be valid for 10 years from the date of issue, provided that there is no material change to the building that could affect its energy performance such as, an extension to the building, a significant change to the building fabric or a change in the heating system or fuel used.

How to improve an Energy Rating?

The Building Energy Rating Certificate comes with an accompanying advisory report. This report outlines recommendations as to what you can do to improve the energy efficiency of your home. You may then choose to implement some or all of the changes outlined, however, there is no obligation to make any recommended improvements.

Benefits of a BER Cert

In addition a BER Cert will also:

  • Enable comparative purchasing and rental decisions
  • Increase the value of the property
  • Increase energy efficiency
  • Reduce energy bills
  • Reduce carbon footprint

Our Service

Ray White & Co provide quality assured Building Energy Rating (BER) Certificates with advisory reports on how to improve the energy performance and how to save money on energy bills. As professionally trained assessors we are fully qualified to carry out BER Assessments. We are registered with the SEI and hold adequate public liability and professional indemnity insurance. Please Contact Us for more information.

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