Today, in Ireland with a few exceptions, every residential properties are required to have a BER conducted before a property is listed for sale. This BER (Building Energy Rating) is a guide which will inform you how energy efficient a building is.
For Example, a building with a BER of A2 will use much less energy annually than a similar size building with a BER of E1. As a result, the owner of the A2 property will save hundreds, or possibly thousands annually on energy bills.
But, there is a lot more to a BER. When a BER Accessor visits a property, they don't just produce the rating, they also produce a BER Advisory Report which details the efficiency of each part of the property from doors and windows to insulation levels and heating systems and give recommendations on potential upgrades, estimated cost range and potential BER which could be achieved.
This Advisory Report can be very useful for anyone considering buying a property and trying to budget for upgrades. However, most home hunters don't realise it is available to view online! All you need is the BER Number.
So here's how to look up the BER Advisory Report!
Step 1 - Find a property!
This is a pretty typical 3 bed semi detached house. It was built in the 70s or 80s and so the BER is expectedly low at F.
Estimated Cost Based on BER of B on a 3 Bed Semi D!
Using a Home Hunter Report for this property, we can see based on the BER of F and the Size and Type of property, the estimated annual energy bills would be between €3200 and €4700 annually.
This is a pretty significant cost and so anyone buying this home would likely be interested in the potential for energy upgrades.
Step 2 - Find the BER Number on the listing
Most agents are pretty helpful here and have the BER number at the bottom of the listing on Daft or MyHome. Copy this number, we'll need it in a minute!
If the agent does not have the number listed, most agents would be able to provide it if you drop them an email.
Just simply say - "Hi Agent, I'm interest in your property for sale at 123 Fancy Street but still doing some research. Would you be able to provide the BER Number for the F rating of this property?".
Remember, a vendor must have a BER complete before the property is made available for sale and so this number should be readily available.
Step 3 - Go to the SEAI BER Register Search Page
You can Google "SEAI BER Search" or just simply click this link...
This page lets you search the database of BERs using either the BER number or the MPRN number.
Enter in the BER number for the listing. You DO NOT need the MPRN number. Then click search!
This will then load the search results. There should only be 1 result when you search with a BER number. If you were to search with an MPRN number, you might get multiple results if there has been more than 1 BER produced for the property.
Double check the address is correct and then click on the BER number.
Step 4 - Property Details Page
This page will give you a summary of the property and links to the BER Certificate and BER Advisory Report.
It also includes some useful information like year of construction and floor area in square meters.
Click on the link to "Download Advisory Report".
This will download a pdf to your computer or device. Find and open this pdf.
Step 5 - Reading the BER Advisory Report
The BER Advisory Report is a 4 page long report which gives you information about the current performance and the potential performance with recommended upgrades.
For example, on Page 1 we can see this property has a current rating of F, but has a potential rating of B3. If we go back to the estimated energy chart above, this could translate to annual savings of over €3k.
On pages 2 of the report, we can see what recommended energy upgrades are needed to bring the property to it's potential B3. It shows the impact "Comfort" each upgrade will achieve, the estimated cost range and whether or not there are grants available.
Page 3 shows the same upgrades but with more technical information. These calculations help the accessor decided which upgrades would have the most impact.
Page 4 of the BER Advisory Report, just confirms some details on the property and has some standard stock information letting you know about the report and how it was produced.
At Home Hunter Report, we believe in arming buyers with the information they need to make the best decisions for them and their families when buying a home. The advisor report is just one way to do that.
If you are considering biding on a property or if you are Sale Agreed, a Home Hunter Report will also arm you with a ton more information. Everything from a Local Planning Map, a Flood Risk Map, recent sales in the area, local amenities, fastest broadband, mobile signal strength and much, much more!
Just go to HomeHunterReport.ie and enter the address to get started!
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