How to Improve Your BER

Improving your BER will not only increase the comfort, value and energy efficiency of your home, it will also reduce your energy bills and carbon emissions. Research found that you can save up to €600 per year on heating bills by insulating the attic and walls of your home properly.

This article will walk you through the measures you can take to improve your home's BER and energy efficiency.

Energy upgrades aim: a B2 rating

While planning energy upgrades to your home, it is recommend aiming for a B2 rating, which, according to SEAI, will give homeowners the most energy savings for the money invested. 

To maximise the benefit of the upgrade,SEAI also recommends to prioritise the upgrades so that each step builds on what has been done previously.

The priority lists are:

1) Insulation

This is the first, key step. Improving the insulation in your attic and walls keeps valuable heat in your home. This is sometimes referred to as a 'fabric first' approach.

2) Heating system

Once the insulation is in place you should replace any old, inefficient boilers with a heat pump that uses renewable energy. A dwelling should have low heat loss to ensure the heat pump works efficiently.

3) Generate / Renewables

When your home is fully insulated with high efficiency heating you can install rooftop solar panels. These can heat hot water or generate electricity.

Important things to know:

1) It is often more cost effective to install a number of upgrades at once. Your budget and ambition will help decide how much work you want to engage in. The cost of works will depend on a number of factors, including how efficient your house is to start with.

2) You can use your advisory report recommendations, BER assessor advice and our website to build a roadmap for your home improvements.

3) It is important that you retain any details and documentation of works done to your home. These could be certifications, receipts, invoices or specification documents. This information is important for ensuring you receive the most accurate BER for your home after the upgrades. If you are unsure about the documentation required talk to your BER assessor or technical advisor.

Simple measures to carry out for improvement If you are not in a position to undertake significant upgrades above:

1) Draught-proofing

Draught-proofing, fitted to windows, doors and loft or attic hatches, improves airtightness and thermal comfort, reduces heat loss, improves noise insulation and reduces dust ingress.

2) Lighting

Correct lighting levels are essential for visual comfort, safety and for aesthetic effects. Fit efficient electric lighting and maximise the use of daylight.

3) Hot water cylinder insulation

Hot water cylinders without insulation or poorly insulated should be fitted with a hot water cylinder jacket. Replacement hot water cylinders should be factory insulated.

4) Hot water cylinder thermostat

Set your water heating to 65°C on your immersion heating so that you don’t waste energy by overheating water. Fit a cylinder thermostat if the hot water is being heated by the central-heating boiler.

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• Latest official Building Regulations: UK & Ireland
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• Retrofit/Home Upgrade case studies: here
• Cost Estimation
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*Source: www.seai.ie/ber*