BER RATINGS
WHAT IS A BER AND WHO NEEDS IT?
A Building Energy Rating or BER is similar to the energy label on your fridge with a scale of A-G. A–rated homes are the most energy efficient and G the least efficient. From 1st January 2009, A BER certificate will be compulsory for all homes being sold or offered for rent. A seller must provide a BER certificate to prospective buyers when a home is offered for sale or a landlord must provide a BER certificate to a tenant when a home is offered for rent. If you are buying or renting a new house or apartment now, you may already be entitled to a BER – so ask the seller/landlord or their agent for it. There are fines of up to €5,000 for non-compliance with the regulations.
WHO CARRIES OUT A BER ASSESSMENT?
FIONA CALLAGHAN, BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering, MIEI, GICE, Director of RFC Engineering Ltd is a Registered Building Energy Rating Assessor who has been trained under the National Framework of Qualifications and has registered with Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI). All registered assessors must adhere to the BER Assessors Code of Conduct, a copy of which is available on request.
HOW MUCH DOES A BER COST AND HOW LONG DOES AN ASSESSMENT TAKE?
RFC Engineering Ltd will offer to carry out the BER assessments at a highly competitive price. The price offered will be dependent on the location of the property, size and style (i.e a 1 bed apartment compared with a large 4 bed detached house). The inspection of a property can take anywhere between 1 hr and 2.5hrs, again depending on the size and style of the house.
We will provide a quote based on the information provided to us before viewing the property but reserve the right to amend the quotation should the information provided initially be misleading. Assessors are charged a fee of €25 to submit a BER assessment to SI for publication on the National BER Register. This fee is in addition to the fee quoted. We will enter into a written agreement with the property owner prior to carrying out the assessment.
HOW IS A BER CALCULATED?
A BER is based on the characteristics of major components of the dwelling (wall, roof and floor dimensions, window and door sizes and orientations) as well as the construction type and levels of insulation, ventilation and air tightness features, the systems for heat supply, (including renewable energy), distribution and control, and the type of lighting. It covers annual energy use for space heating, water heating, ventilation, lighting and associated pumps and fans, calculated on the basis of a notional standard family with a standard pattern of occupancy. The survey will include photographic evidence. The energy performance is expressed as
(a) Primary energy use per unit floor area per year (KWh/m2/yr) represented on an A to G scale and
(b) Associated Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions in kgCO2/m2/yr.
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. In that way it is similar to the concept of a fuel economy (miles per gallon or litres per 100 km) rating for a car. A BER does not cover electricity used for purposes other than heating, lighting, pumps and fans, i.e. does not include for cooking, refrigeration, laundry etc.
WHAT INFORMATION IS REQUIRED?
Prior to carrying out the assessment on an existing property, the owner will be asked to have the following information available (where possible) for inspection by the assessor:
• A current electricity bill containing the MPRN number for the property.
• Any documentary evidence of any home improvements carried out to the property (ie receipts proving insulation installed, window specifications and year of installation etc)
• Any documentary evidence of the heating system in the property (Manufacturer’s manuals or warrantees for the boiler/solar panels/mechanical ventilation system etc)
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A BER AND HOW LONG IS A BER VALID FOR?
A BER makes the energy performance of a home visible to prospective buyers and tenants and enables them to take energy performance into consideration in their next house purchase or rental decision. A BER is valid for up to 10 years provided that there is no material change to the dwelling that could affect its energy performance. The maximum term of validity of a Provisional BER is 2 years. A Provisional BER is provided for new homes offered for sale off plans based upon the design drawings and building specifications. When the home is completed, a BER based on an assessment of the final drawings and building specifications, which represent the house as constructed, is provided by the builder/developer prior to completion of the sale. Along with the BER certificate, you will also receive an Advisory Report which will help you to identify how you might improve the energy performance of your home.
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SCHEME?
The BER Scheme was established under the European Communities (Energy Performance of Buildings) Regulations 2006 (S.I.No.666 of 2006). Sustainable Energy Ireland (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. SEI has put in place a comprehensive quality assurance system to audit BER assessors and BER assessments and to protect the integrity of the BER Scheme.