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WE ORGANIZE YOUR BER CERTIFICATE IN DUBLIN !

YOUR BER EXPLAINED IN 10 QUESTIONS

1. BER : WHAT IS IT ?

A BER, or a Building Energy Rating Certificate is a label similar to the energy labels on your domestic appliances. A BER rates your property on a A-G scale.You need to contact a BER Assessor to organize your BER. From 1st January 2009, a BER became compulsory for all homes being sold or offered for rent. Along with the BER Certificate, you also have an Advisory report which details what needs to be done in order to improve the energy performance of your home and in order to save energy and to reduce your Carbon emissions.

2. WHO IS ENTITLED TO A BER ?

Sellers or landlords must provide a BER to prospective buyers or tenants when a property is sold, rented or constructed. The BER scheme has been established under the European Communities (Energy Performance of Buildings) Regulations 2006. Sustainable Energy Ireland controls all the published BER Certificates as the BER is an Irish label.
All European countries have a similar label to the BER. If you were to purchase or rent a property in a European country, you would be entitled to ask the seller or landlord to see the BER as it is a legal requirement to produce a BER when selling or renting a property in Europe.

3. HOW IS A BER CERTIFICATE CALCULATED ?

A BER certificate is established by a BER Assessor. The BER is based on the characteristics of the building elements of the dwelling such as walls, roofs, windows, floor dimensions… The BER Assessor will come to your house to measure them, identify the construction types , the different types of fabrics, the levels of insulation, the orientation of the dwelling… A BER also takes into account the ventilation and airtightness features, the type of lighting, the systems used for the space and the water heating… If it covers the annual energy use for space heating, water heating, ventilation, lighting and associated fans and pumps, the BER does not cover electricity used for other purposes such as cooking, laundry or refregiration, cleaning… The BER Assessor , after a full energy survey of your property will be able to calculate and publish your BER.

4. HOW IS THE ENERGY PERFORMANCE OF MY BER CERTIFICATE EXPRESSED ?

On your BER, you can read two important values : The primary energy use per unit floor area per year, (kWH/m2/year) and the associated Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions in kgCO2/m2/yr. (Please, see the sample of the BER Certificate) The BER is only an indication of the energy performance of a house with a standard use. The actual energy usage will therefore depend on how each occupant operate the house.

5. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A BER CERTIFICATE ?

A BER makes the energy performance of your property visible. Seeing the BER Certificate of the property you intend to rent or buy enables you to take energy performance into consideration. If you have to choose between two similar types of dwellings, you will of course prefer the one with the best rating as your energy bills will be lower. Consulting a BER Assessor helps you improve the energy performance of your home. If you want to do some insulation works, asking your BER Assessor to carry out your BER Certificate will help you plan which investments are the most apropriate for your property. It will also help you understand how your house can improve its energy performance and how best to communicate with your builder when you intend to do some works. If your BER Assessor carries out a BER Certificate before and after you have done the works which qualify for the Home Energy Saving Scheme grant with SEI, you can also get a grant for your BER Certificate.

6. I NEED A BER CERTIFICATE in DUBLIN, HOW DO I CHOOSE MY BER ASSESSOR ?

When you need a BER Certificate, it is important that your BER ASSESSOR is registered with Sustainable Energy Ireland. In order to get the most accurate BER Certificate, make sure your BER Assessor has enough experience in the building construction industry. All BER Assessors registered with SEI have to adhere to the BER Assessor code of conduct. You will find a list of registered BER Assessors online at www.sei.ie/ber. Your BER Certificate can give some value to your property. Therefore, it is best to carefully choose your BER Assessor.

7. HOW LONG IS YOUR BER CERTIFICATE VALID FOR ?

From the date your BER Assessor publishes your BER Certificate, your BER is valid for up to 10 years. In case there is material change to the dwelling that could affect its energy performance, your BER Assessor will have to carry out a new BER Certificate.

8. WHAT IS A PROVISIONAL BER CERTIFICATE ?

A provisional BER Certificate is issued when new homes are offered for sales off plans. When the dwelling is completed, the BER Assessor has to issue another BER based on an assessment of the final drawings and building specifications. This final BER Certificate must be supplied by the developer on completion of any such properties sold off plans.

9. HOW MUCH DOES A BER CERTIFICATE IN DUBLIN COST ?

A BER Certificate in Dublin can cost from 120 euros, depending on the size and the complexity of your dwelling. Your BER Assessor has to provide you with a detailed quote including all fees before carrying out your BER. Your BER Assessor is charged a fee of 25 euros +VAT to submit your BER to SEI.

10. CAN MY BER ASSESSOR HELP ME PLAN MY INVESTMENTS WHEN DOING SOME INSULATION WORKS ?

Your BER Assessor can estimate the energy saving you can achieve when doing some insulation works or energy improvements. Therefore, your BER Assessor can help you plan your investments and estimate your payback time with a detailed cost and saving analysis.

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