What Is a BER Rating and How Can You Improve It?

By Cormac Breen

Content Manager

Cormac is Selectra.ie's energy expert along with being the chief content and editorial manager for the website. His aim is to help find the best deal for you and your home energy needs so that you save money on your annual bills. His knowledge and experience of the Irish energy market allows him to offer the best advice and insight into current prices, emerging trends and overall energy saving tips.

A BER rating grades the energy efficiency of a home on a scale of A to G with A representing the most energy efficient and G the least. A BER certificate costs €125 and the evaluation of your home can be carried out by an SEAI accredited assessor. Grants are available from the SEAI to cover the cost of the assessment.

What Is a Building Energy Rating (BER)?

A Building Energy Rating (BER) certificate is a measurement of your home's energy efficiency.

Introduced by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), your home's efficiency is rated on a scale from A to G with A representing the most energy efficient and G the least.

The BER scale measures how many kWh per square meter your home requires per year for the following items:

1. Space heating
2. Water heating
3. Ventilation
4. Lighting

Below you'll find an example of a BER rating certificate. The top of the certificate will show your home's rating along with important information such as your address, BER number and the date until when your certificate is valid.

Below this, you will be able to see where your rating fits into the scale from least to most efficient.

• What Does Each BER Rating Mean?
• A Rating:
  Your home uses less than 74 kWh of energy per square meter a year. These are usually given to newly built homes, purposefully built for energy efficiency and July include some solar panels.
• B Rating:
  Your home requires between 75 and 149 kWh of energy per square meter a year. Typically handed for a modern home between 10 and 20 years old, which July have had some renovations for efficiency.
• C Rating:
  Your home needs from 150 to 224 kWh of energy per square meter a year. Often granted to a common flat in a 10 to 15-year-old development.
• D Rating:
  Your home uses between 225 and 299 kWh of energy per square meter a year. Generally bestowed to a 20 to 40-year-old home with an old boiler and some insulation.
• E Rating:
  Your home spends from 300 to 379 kWh of energy per square meter a year. Ordinarily assigned to houses that are 30 years or older with single-pane windows.
• F Rating: Your home ranges from 380 to 449 kWh of energy per square meter a year. Usually delivered to an older home with single glazed windows and no insulation.
• G Rating:
  Your home uses more than 450 kWh of energy per square meter a year. Historically applied to very old or abandoned dwellings.

A BER rating is for the most part, a guide to the energy consumotion level of a home.

Below you will find a breakdown of the sub-ratings and the type of home they may represent:

Who Needs a BER Certificate?

In Ireland, a BER (Building Energy Rating) certificate is required by law for several specific scenarios related to property.

Here's a clear breakdown of who needs a BER certificate:

• Homes for Sale: If you are the owner of a residential property and intend to sell it, you are legally required to provide a valid BER certificate to potential buyers. This must be available at the earliest opportunity in the sales process, and the BER rating should be included in all property advertisements.
• Homes for Rent: Similarly, if you are a landlord and are putting a residential property up for rent, you must provide a valid BER certificate to prospective tenants. The rating should also be displayed in all rental advertisements.
• Newly Built Homes: All new dwellings constructed in Ireland must have a BER certificate before they are first occupied. If a new building is sold "off the plans," a provisional BER certificate based on the design will initially be provided, followed by a final BER certificate once the construction is complete.

The property owner is always responsible for obtaining the BER certificate. If using an estate agent or letting agent, the owner must ensure the agent has the BER information to include in advertisements.

Are There any Exemptions for a BER Certificate?

Certain types of buildings are exempt from needing a BER certificate. 

These typically include:

• Protected structures: Buildings formally listed for their architectural or historical interest.
• National monuments: Properties designated as national monuments.
• Places of worship: Buildings used primarily for religious activities.
• Stand-alone buildings with a small floor area: Those with a total useful floor area of less than 50 square metres (unless they are residential dwellings).
• Non-residential agricultural buildings: Structures primarily used for agriculture and not intended for human occupancy.
• Certain temporary buildings: Structures intended for use for two years or less.

If you are unsure whether your property requires a BER certificate, it is always best to consult with an SEAI accredited BER assessor or your local Building Control Authority for clarification.

How Do I Get a BER Rating Certificate?

Getting a BER (Building Energy Rating) certificate for your property in Ireland involves a straightforward process, primarily by engaging an SEAI-accredited BER assessor.

Here's how you go about it:

The BER certificate is valid for 10 years, but it's important to note that if you make significant energy-related upgrades to your home (e.g., new insulation, heating system replacement, solar panel installation), it's advisable to get a new BER assessment to reflect the improved rating.

How Do You Calculate a BER Rating?

A home's BER (Building Energy Rating) in Ireland is calculated by a qualified BER assessor using a standardized methodology called the Dwelling Energy Assessment Procedure (DEAP).

1. Inspection and Survey:
   The assessor visits the property and conducts a thorough inspection, measuring various aspects of the building, including:
   • Size and age of the building
   • Type of construction
   • Heating and hot water system
   • Ventilation
   • Lighting
   • Insulation
   • Windows and doors
2. Data Input and Calculations:
   The assessor inputs the collected data into the DEAP software. The software then calculates the energy performance of the performance of the building taking into account factors such as:
   1. Energy used for space heating
   2. Energy used for hot water
   3. Energy used for lighting
   4. Ventilation losses
3. Rating and Certification:
   Based on the calculations, the software assigns a BER rating to the property. This rating is typically represented by a letter grade (from A to G, with A being the most energy-efficient). The assessor then issues a BER certificate, which is valid for 10 years.

How Do I Find A Property's BER Rating?

The easiest way to obtain this is by visiting the National BER Register page with your electricity's 11-digit Meter Point Reference Number (MPRN).

If you have just moved into a new home, or are considering buying one, it is important to know what the property's BER rating is. This is important for a number of reasons as:

• A lower rating could mean higher energy bills as more energy is used by the property.
• Lower rated properties will often be colder in winter due to poor insulation.
• Lower rated properties, might require large investment to improve efficiency.

How Can I Improve My Home BER Rating?

As we mentioned, the BER rating solely evaluates the energy-efficiency level of your home. To improve the rating, you will therefore need to make improvements to one or many of the following upgrades to your home:

1. Insulation
   Whether this is for your attic, cavity wall, or any other parts of your home, it is one of the quickest and easiest ways to improve your home's energy efficiency.
2. Windows and Doors
   Probably one of the more expensive investments you can make, however, windows and doors are where you can have the biggest impact on your home's BER rating.
3. Renewable Energy
   You can now re-sell to the energy grid any power generated from a renewable source. Installing some solar panels on your rooftop, even in Irish weather, is another way to lower your home's carbon footprint on the environment.
4. Home Heating System
   There are a multitude of choices in this category, but opting for some of the modern heating systems like underfloor heating, heat pumps using a smart thermostat is another way to improve your home's rating.
5. Lighting
   Even simple measures like using LED bulbs and other energy-saving tricks can have an impact on your BER rating.

Any of these upgrades do come with the bonus of obtaining saving on your energy costs as well.

You can cut down significantly on the costs of these home improvements by applying for SEAI grants. 

Their latest range of schemes is very complete and, should you qualify, can even allow you to complete some renovations 100% covered by the grant.

Why Is It Important To Improve Your BER Rating?

There are various reasons one will want to improve your home's BER rating, including:

• Increasing the value of your home.
• Energy efficient homes, are better for the environment and can help Ireland reach its 2050 emission targets.
• Significant savings on your energy bills.

Below, you will find an example of how improving your BER rating can help cut the costs of running your home:

• Savings by Improving Your BER Rating
• The average 3-bedroom house with an E rating would have an annual energy cost of €2,450 per year.
• The same home with a C rating would have a yearly bill of €1,300.
• The savings come to €1,150 every year on your electricity and gas bill.

Source: SEAI

With such savings in energy costs, it is easy to see why investing a little in your home can go a long way.

In less than 10 years, one can recover over €10,000 on their energy bills in this example.

How Can I Contact the SEAI in Relation to a BER Rating?

For any queries related to the BER rating or home efficiency in general, you can contact the SEAI at the following:

By Cormac Breen

Content Manager

Cormac is Selectra.ie's energy expert along with being the chief content and editorial manager for the website. His aim is to help find the best deal for you and your home energy needs so that you save money on your annual bills. His knowledge and experience of the Irish energy market allows him to offer the best advice and insight into current prices, emerging trends and overall energy saving tips.