When selling or renting your home you are required to have a BER certificate and have the rating disclosed on the listing. So, if you’re planning to sell or rent your home, you’re in the right place to learn why it’s important to understand and improve your BER rating.
What is a BER rating?
BER stands for Building Energy Rating and it rates your home’s energy performance on a scale between A and G. A BER rating can be used to compare the energy efficiency and performance of homes and dwellings.
What is the BER scale?
The BER scale has 15 different grades, with the A1 rating being the best possible BER rating and a G being the lowest possible rating. Essentially, the most energy-efficient homes are A-rated, while the least energy-efficient homes are G-rated. This information helps prospective buyers and renters gauge the impact of the property’s BER rating on their home energy bills and running costs.
The range of the scale is due to there being so many contributing factors when evaluating a BER, such as when your home was built, how many rooms and bedrooms it has, the amount of energy the home requires, and more.
The SEAI advises that you aim for a minimum B2 rating for your home as this would mean that you have optimum comfort and energy performance, as well as being able to save on home energy bills and carbon emissions.
How is the BER rating calculated?
To find out your home’s BER grade, an SEAI-registered BER assessor will inspect and survey your home, including your attic or shed/garage if you have them, and will consider your home’s heating and cooling systems, the quality of your ventilation, including windows and doors, any insulation measures you have in place, lighting, and your immersion or other water heating system. Some other information they require will be the year your home was built, details and dates of any extensions added, and any renewable energy sources.
The assessor will use this information to calculate your home’s annual energy usage and the associated CO2 emissions per year, resulting in your BER certificate and an Advisory Report highlighting potential home improvements to reduce energy consumption and cost, and increase comfort. The BER assessment costs between €150 and €300, depending on the size of your home.
How to improve your home’s BER rating?
The Advisory Report from your BER assessor will suggest ways to improve your home’s BER rating, from small changes to bigger undertakings. Some simple, budget-friendly energy improvements are as follows:
1. Upgrade your bulbs
Replace your bulbs with energy-efficient alternatives such as LEDs or CFLs. A simple solution that is both effective and economical.
2. Draught-proofing
Draught-proof your windows and doors to improve heat retention with draught-proofing foam strips around the frame to fill gaps, and install draught excluders to the bottom of your doors.
3. Check your immersion
Insulate your hot water tank with a lagging jacket, or replace the jacket it currently has if it’s old or worn. Adjust your immersion thermostat to 65°C to prevent you from needlessly overheating water too.
4. Turn down the heat
Lowering your heating thermostat by one or two degrees can offer significant savings on your heating bills while having little impact on the warmth and comfort of your home.
Some more comprehensive energy upgrades may involve a greater undertaking, both in the work involved and the cost, but they can save you money in the long run. There are some Irish government home improvement grants available that may help cover a portion of the cost. Some comprehensive energy-saving improvements are:
1. Replacing your heating system
Replacing your boiler with a newer model or upgrading to a more modern heating system such as a heat pump will help improve your home’s BER. A heat pump that works off renewable energy will also aid sustainability.
2. Insulating walls and attic spaces
This can be done in stages. Perhaps you insulate the attic first and the walls later, but either way, insulating your home will help it retain heat, which means you will require less energy to keep it warm and dry.
3. Renewable energy modifications
You can generate renewable energy by installing solar panels in your home. With the long daylight hours in Ireland, we are the ideal country for this sort of power. Homes with more land area could consider small-scale wind turbines or hydroelectricity.
We also have an article with more eco-friendly ideas for renovating your home, so check that out for some additional ideas on ways to improve the BER rating on your home.
Does the BER scale affect your home insurance?
While a higher BER doesn’t usually lower your home insurance premium, any work carried out on your home to improve its BER will need to be communicated with your insurance provider to ensure you still have an accurate level of coverage. With AXA, you can make any adjustments to your policy on the MyAXA portal or by speaking with the AXA home insurance team to find out more.
