Home Q&A: Are old houses exempt from Building Energy Rating (BER)?

Few of us are likely to live in a property with no BER unless we're camping in a national monument or holding on to a family pile 

There is a common misconception that a heritage house, terrace or cottage does not require a Building Energy Rating (BER). This is completely untrue in most cases, and yet you may find houses listed on property portals deeming them “BER exempt” or without a rating, stoking that illusion.

With some exceptions, and they are actually very few exempted building types, the BER for these advertised properties is far more likely pending and entered online accidentally as exempt. 

The law is clear, here explained by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), which manages the register of SEAI assessors.

“The current BER for the building is stated in all advertisements. All advertisements mean public announcements in newspapers, magazines, brochures, leaflets, advertising notices, vehicles, radio, television, internet (including apps and social media), and direct mail. Prospective buyers and renters can see the BER prominently in all advertisements,” according to the SEAI website, seai.ie.

The BER rating runs from an A1 down to a chill G. Here’s a list of the only buildings in Ireland that do not require a BER certificate on sale. Notice that this list does not automatically include period homes, as most charming old things are not listed as protected structures:

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• Places of worship or buildings used for the religious activities of any religion — not church conversions therefore 
• Certain temporary buildings 
• Industrial buildings not intended for extended human occupancy with a low installed heating capacity 
• Non-residential agricultural buildings with a low installed heating capacity 
• Stand-alone buildings with a small useful floor area

Few of us are likely ever to live in a house with no BER rating unless we're camping in a national monument or holding on to a family pile for generations without ever accessing SEAI grant aid to thermally cheer it up. 

Living in a tiny home under 50 square metres, the provision of a BER assessment is a good idea, giving prospective buyers an idea of what the house will cost to run.

Apply to the conservation officer of your local planning authority to find out if you suspect you are on the Record of Protected Structures and were not notified. Changing the material character of such a building, even making energy improvements could lead to prosecution if it materially alters its character.

For everything else domestic and habitable, good BER certification is gaining increasing importance in this age of A1-rated new builds and the astonishing possibilities for deep retrofit improvements. New renewable energy sources, highly effective insulation, ventilation and exquisitely accurate zoned, heating controls can be tailored into even ancient heritage buildings. Much of this work is grant-aided for properties built and occupied before 2011.

Having an old house, even a heritage build, does not automatically exempt it from a BER on sale, and you may well need one to access SEAI grant aided improvements. Picture: iStock

With an older and potentially “tired” home, the difference between a one, two and three in, for instance, a middling D, BER rating could come down to simple details on assessment day.

Swap out the last sputtering tungsten bulbs for LEDs, screw on some TRVs and lag the immersion tank before the assessor visits. Generally, it would be difficult to poke up your chances of a significantly better BER with fixes lesser than insulating a bald attic from a standstill (up to 80% grant aided with the SEAI).

“A BER is based on the calculated energy performance and associated carbon dioxide emissions for the provision of space heating, ventilation, water heating and lighting under standardized operating conditions. The characteristics of the major components of the home including dimensions, orientation, insulation, and space and hot water system efficiencies are used in the calculation. 

The BER is not dependent on current occupant behaviour,” according to the SEAI website, seai.ie.

The tool the BER assessor must stick to using their expertise is a DEAP software tied down in equations or algorithms. It has little latitude. Your energy bills (influenced by your habits) are irrelevant. The set down, default figures based on the age of the build and the building regulations of that time can be unforgiving.  I read in my advisory report that my lack of a draught porch influenced one assessment – hardly something I could have bolted on in an afternoon. However, I did lack full certification for insulation in my exterior stud walls. That was not my BER assessor’s responsibility.

The visiting assessor won’t simply take your word about a luxuriant quilt of sheep wool buried behind plasterboard. 

They judge the building largely from what they can see, and what is easily proven in a fairly swift visit with a head-poke into the attic. They will require proper paperwork from a VAT-certified installer, professionally accredited to carry out the work. This demonstrates the design, scope, specification, materials, and commissioning (in the case of something like solar photovoltaic for example) when they visit.

Where you make improvements that impact Part L of the building regulations or the energy performance of any building, the BER will be refreshed and republished. Picture: iStock

A supervising engineer or architect can sign off on stage work like this in many cases. Hang onto these precious certificates, warranties and registrations in a dedicated folder. Call ahead and ask your BER assessor for advice on what you should have on hand or email them in terms of paperwork for changes and improvements.

The BER assessment after (and in many cases before works if you don’t have a valid cert) forms a central demand in the grant application process with the SEAI through their One-Stop-Shop or individual grant aid process. 

With green mortgage products limited to homes with a B2 or better, the expectations of a snug, easy-to-heat property are influencing the market.

Where a BER certificate is generated for a sale or out of the SEAI grant process, it is “published”, it is valid for ten years, and available to view online. Provisional BERs (usually used for new builds) are only valid for two years and are supposed to be taken to a full BER assessment when the building is complete and ready to occupy.

So, what if for any reason, you don’t know where your BER certificate for your older home has drifted off to (a common scenario), or you are not sure if a vintage property you are considering buying has an existing BER? 

Well, happily there is an SEAI National BER Register. You would have to have a valid interest in the property to access the cert’ with an MPRN number from the meter or a BER certificate number. Your agent handling the sale, will usually take this step.

Once rated, the BER certificate is accessible to those who need it, and you can order a hard copy. BER certificates are valid for ten years, so if the certificate is out of date, another BER assessment should have been carried out before the sale. Where the BER is published prior to 6 July 2021, you must search by MPRN to download the advisory report. This is a vital bonus, offering a route towards improving an older building that can kick up the comfort levels and energy efficiency, along with achieving a better BER rating and potential sale price when it hits the market.

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