My Home Ireland

Posted by myhome on October 2nd, 2007 in BER

From 1 January 2009 all existing buildings, when offered for sale or letting, will require a BER  Currently Building Energy Ratingsare only required  for new dwellings constructed or offered for sale, for which the planning application was submitted from 1 January 2007 and which are substantially completed by 30 June 2008. .

What is a BER?   -

A BER is an energy certificate for your house that will look much the same as those colour coded scales found on kitchen appliances, where A is good and G is bad. It will take into account such things as the ventilation, water heating and lighting.

How will it impact on the value of my house?

The impact of a lower BER on the marketability of dwellings offered for sale or letting will depend on such things as overall housing supply, demand and other property market factors. With the current slowdown in the housing market, purchasers will take factors such as energy performance into account.

Who can rate my house and provide a certificate?

Only Registered BER Assessors  can provide energy ratings for your house.
A full BER certificate will be valid for 10 years, providing there are no material changes to the property that will affect its energy performance. Such changes would include an extension.

What should I do if the rating is poor?

There is no penalty for getting a poor BER for an existing dwelling. However, new dwellings must comply with Part L ‘Conservation of Fuel and Energy’ provisions of the Building Regulations.