





A Building Energy Rating (BER) Certificate is an indication of the energy performance of a property.
It takes account of the building's insulation properties, space and hot water heating methods, ventilation and lighting based on standard occupancy.
A BER Cert is similar to the energy label for a household electrical appliance like your fridge.
The label has a scale from A to G. A-rated homes are the most energy efficient and will tend to have the lowest energy bills.

A seller or landlord must provide a valid BER to prospective buyers or tenants when a property is offered for sale or rent. BER details must also be included in advertisements related to the sale or rental. The BER Cert is required by a solicitor to close or progress a sale.
This Cert is valid for 10 years and requires the assessor to visit the property and gather information on the property and any changes that have been made since it was built. For example, extensions, wall insulation, new glazing etc.


Local Authority planning departments in Ireland will ask for a provisional BER Cert. when planning permission is applied for a new dwelling(s). This is based on the proposed building and mechanical design of the property. This is valid for 2 years.
A Final BER Cert should be completed once the property has been finished. This is based on the actual completed property. It will require a site visit and inputs from the owner, contractor and architect/engineer.
Many SEAI grant applications for building energy upgrades require that a BER assessment is carried out after the changes have been made. A section of the grant application form has to be completed by the BER Assessor.
Grants include:
See the SEAI website for how to apply for these grants and the current value of the grants available.
Note that you have to be preapproved for these grants before the works can take place

Paul Browner established Leinster BER Services in 2009 when the BER rating system was first established in Ireland. Since then we have completed over 1000 BER assessments.
All of our assessments are carried out by a degreed engineer with 10+ years’ experience.
We are fully insured and registered with SEAI to carry out this work.
We are happy to work with clients on their projects and treat all with the utmost respect and professionalism.

This 1950’s property had been extended in 2020. The external walls and attic have been insulated. New glazing was installed and a gas condensing boiler installed with new heating controls.
We calculated the new BER rating for the property taking all of this into account. We also completed the SEAI grant application form for heating controls, wall and attic insulation for the client.

We worked with a developer and their architect on a new build property at the design stage. We made recommendations on the building fabric and mechanical design to ensure that the proposal complied with 2019 Technical Guidance Part L of Buildings and that it achieved nZEB requirements.
Our recommendations included:
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