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What Happens if a Home gets a Low Energy Rating?
No house can ever fail a Building Energy Rating and if an existing home achieves a low energy rating there will be no obligation on owners to upgrade their home. From a tenant or a prospective purchaser’s point of view, homes with a higher energy rating will have lower running costs and are more appealing. These homes will be easier to sell / rent and are likely to achieve higher prices on the open market. An average guide for standard houses around 5 years old, the rating is in the ‘C’ bracket while newer homes will be higher. All new homes must comply with current building regulations with a minimum B3 rating.
Are any Buildings Exempt from Building Energy Ratings (BER)?
Yes there are a number of exemptions to the Building Energy Ratings - national monuments, protected buildings, places of worship, temporary buildings, and agricultural buildings with a low installed heating capacity and small buildings with a floor area less than 50m2.
What is the Penalty for NOT providing a BER Certificate?
Failure to produce a certificate on the sale or letting of a property coming under the legislation when required can result in a maximum fine of €5,000 on conviction in the District Court.
An advisory report accompanies all BER Certificates and will set out the most cost effective ways of improving the energy rating of your home. The vendor may decide to carry out some upgrading work themselves or to pass the report on to the new owner but is legally not obliged to do so. eirgreen will also include detailed costs for all the improvement works.
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eirgreen are fully insured and are covered for the following when carrying out a Building Energy Rating (BER) Certificate, Site Survey and Installing our Products:
• Professional Indemnity Insurance
• Combined Employers / Public / Products Liability Insurance
Understanding a BER Certificate and What does it look like?
When is a BER legally required and who is entitled to a BER certificate?
How is a BER, Building Energy Rating calculated?
What do I get with my BER Certificate?
How long is a BER certificate valid for?
What is a Provisional BER Certificate?
Where can I get a BER Certificate?
Who is the regulatory authority for the BER Certificates and BER Assessors?
What is a BER?
A BER, Building Energy Rating is an energy certificate for a building and is an indication on how energy efficient a property is. Similar to a label on your fridge, a BER scale runs from A (green) to G (red) where A rated homes are the most energy efficient and a G rated home the least energy efficient. The Building Energy Rating Certificate (BER) also comes with an accompanying advisory report which contains recommendations on how you might improve the energy performance of your home.
Understanding a BER Certificate and What does it look like?
Fully Explained BER Certificate.
When is a BER legally required and who is entitled to a BER certificate?
A landlord / seller must provide a BER certificate to a prospective buyer or tenants when a house is constructed, rented or sold where the following criteria applies.
• New homes where planning permission was applied for on or after 1st of January 2007
• All existing houses for sale or rent on or after 1st January 2009
There is a maximum fine of up to €5000 for not having a BER Certificate when required.
Prospective buyers and tenants are entitled to see the BER cert so they can now for the fist time take the energy performance of the home into consideration when deciding on their next house purchase or rental.
How is a BER, Building Energy Rating calculated?
A BER is only an indication of the energy performance of a dwelling. The actual energy used depends on the occupants and how they run the house.
What do I get with my BER Certificate?
Every BER cert will also be accompanied by a detailed report which will outline whether or not the house is complying with the building regulations (in terms of energy efficiency) and an advisory report containing recommendations that can improve the energy performance of the dwelling.
How long is a BER certificate valid for?
A BER certificate is valid for 10 years.
What is a Provisional BER Certificate?
New homes must comply with current building regulations with a minimum B3 rating.
Where can I get a BER Certificate? Air Tightness Test, Air Leakage, Thermal Imaging, Infrared Thermography Once the construction of a building is completed it would be very hard to determine where heat loss is occurring within the building due to poor construction. From July 1, 2008 all new single dwellings will require an air tightness test to measure the flow of air and to establish any areas that will allow heat loss. All vents and openings are sealed in the building and a door blower is used to decompress the pressure inside. Through the use of expensive equipment and computer software the test will calculate the air infiltration which is unwanted air and show how the building is performing. The test usually takes about an hour and if any leaks are found these will be highlighted in a detailed report. Ideally by combining an air tightness test and an infra-red thermography of the building, any defects, faults or problems are found that cause a building to perform below standard and allow drafts and heat loss to occur. This is like having an X-ray into the walls, floors, ceilings and roof, to see the insulation and how well it is performing. Both Air Tightness testing and thermal imaging complement each other and prove to be a valuable tool in fault finding in a building. eirgreen’s team can provide both Air tightness testing and Thermal Imaging to domestic and commercial buildings. Contact eirgreen today for an Air Leakage test / Air Tightness or for an Infrared Thermography / Thermal Imaging Test.
eirgreen’s BER assessors can carry out a full BER assessment of your dwelling and issue you with a BER certificate which is valid for 10 years. Please contact us today.
Who is the regulatory authority for the BER Certificates and BER Assessors?
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) are the overseeing authority for the registration of BER Assessors and for the responsibility for BER Assessments. They have in place quality assurance system to audit BER Assessors and BER Assessments to ensure the BER Scheme adheres to all legal conformities.
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