The Building Energy Rating (BER) shows the energy performance of your house. It identifies the energy consumption throughout the house for heating, ventilation, and lights. It rates how energy efficient your house systems are. 

BER rating ranges from A to G, with A being most energy-efficient and G being the least. Buildings with an A rating are the most energy-efficient buildings, i.e., they meet the energy requirements as specified by the law. 

The main purpose of a BER certificate is to give information to people before they move into the house.

Yes, if you are a property owner in Ireland and you are considering selling or renting your property, legally you must have a BER before putting your property on the market. Before listing your property make sure to order a BER assessment from a certified and qualified assessor.

A BER certification is mandatory whether you are selling your property yourself or through an agent. 

Similarly, if you are a buyer, you are entitled to ask the vendor or the agent regarding the BER certificate of the property.

In order to get a BER certificate, you need to schedule a BER assessment for your home/ building. The assessment can only be done by a SEAI registered BER assessor.

After your building is assessed, you will be given an advisory report along with your building's BER certificate. In the report, the assessor will also recommend what you can do to improve your BER. 

Improving your BER makes your property more attractive to buyers, as efficient BER ratings will lead to lower energy costs. Apart from making your property attractive, BER certification will also increase the value of your property. Buyers usually tend to go for houses with a higher BER rating. 

Ordering a BER online is very simple. Firstly choose your property type (residential or commercial). Then fill and submit the online form available on the NationwideBER site or call us on 01 901 014.

Our accredited assessors will visit your property within 24 hours of you placing the order. If you require a residential BER, simply fill out and submit the online form.

For a commercial BER, fill and submit the online form to get an instant quote and then email the quote details to support@nationwideber.ie, then one of our dedicated team will be back to you with a bespoke quote.

The cost of BER certification varies from vendor to vendor. NationwideBER offers fantastic rates; you can get a BER for as low as €123 (including VAT) depending on the size of your property and location. 

Here at NationwideBER we have an average turnaround of 3 working days from placing your order to receiving your certificate.

A BER certificate is valid for 10 years, given that the building does not undergo any changes that may affect its energy performance.

Yes, there are some buildings that are exempt from BER certification. These include: 

1. National monuments 
2. Protected old structures
3. New buildings (for which substantial work has been completed by 30 June 2010) 
4. New dwellings ( for which substantial work has been completed by 30 June 2008) 
5. Buildings developed subject to the requirement of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority 

A criminal law sanction may apply to you if you don’t obtain a BER certificate as made mandatory by the law. If you are renting or selling a property and you don’t have a valid BER certificate on the property, you may face a fine of €5,000 in the district court.

Similarly, if you’re selling your building/house a BER certificate is a necessity and if you fail to meet the requirements it will delay your sale process. 

There are a few different ways to improve the BER rating of your house. Here are a few examples:

1. Replace energy efficient elements: You can enhance the heating system of your house, replace old gas and oil boilers with modern solar technology which is not only efficient but also clean.
2. Install Insulation: You can also improve the BER rating of your house by updating wall, floor, and pipe insulation.

If you want to improve the BER rating of your property, the government also provides grants to help you pay for the updates to the property. BER is one of the most essential factors when it comes to selling your property and it can also increase the value of your property.

The BER reports also comes with an advisory report, this report will provide you with recommendations on how to improve the energy efficiency of your property.