Leinster BER Services News

What is a BER?

A Building Energy Rating or BER is similar to the energy rating label that you see displayed on household electrical appliances (e.g. fridges, ovens, televisions etc.) when they are offered for sale. The consumer can take the energy rating into consideration when choosing the one to buy. From January 2009 the house buyer and tenant can also take the energy rating of the dwelling into consideration when making their decision.

How is it calculated?

The BER assessment takes into account the energy characteristics of the major components of the property (wall, roof, floors, windows, door sizes, orientation etc.), construction type, insulation used, lighting and heating types used. It then calculates the average annual energy used to heat the home, ventilate it, light it and heat water for domestic use.

The dwelling will be awarded a BER at the end of the assessment.
The rating certificate has a scale of A to G. A rated homes are the most energy efficient and G-rated the least efficient.

Who carries out the BER?

BER assessments can only be carried out by qualified BER assessors registered with Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI). All registered assessors must adhere to the BER Assessors Code of Conduct.

How long does it last?

Each BER certification lasts 10 years provided the property does not undergo significant alteration during that time.

Who is responsible for providing the BER?

The seller or owner of the property must provide the BER to prospective buyers or tenants when the home is constructed, sold or rented.

There are fines of up to €5,000 for non-compliance with the regulations.

Who is responsible for the BER Scheme?

The BER scheme was established under the European Communities (Energy Performance of Buildings ) Regulations 2006 (S.I. No. 666 of 2006).

SEI has been designated as the issuing authority with responsibility for the registration of BER assessors, logging of BER assessments and ongoing management of the BER scheme.