A BER certificate (BER cert) rates how much energy a home uses, on a scale from A0 to G, and it is valid for 10 years. You need one to sell a home in Ireland, to rent one out, or to advertise it for either, and every new home must have one. The assessment is done by an independent assessor registered with SEAI. Citizens Information puts the cost at about €150 for an apartment and €200 to €300 for a standard house.
This page is for the person who needs the certificate: an owner selling, a landlord letting. If you are checking the BER of a house you want to buy, start with how to check the BER of a house instead.
What a BER certificate is
BER stands for Building Energy Rating. SEAI runs the scheme under S.I. 243 of 2012. An assessor surveys the house, and the result is published on the National BER Register. You get two documents: the certificate, which carries the rating, and the advisory report, which says how to improve it. The certificate shows the rating, the address, the carbon dioxide emissions, the issue and expiry dates, the assessor’s details and a nine digit BER number. Certificates issued from 24 May 2026 also carry a QR code linking to upgrade information for that home.
One house, one Eircode
Check the BER and more for one house by Eircode, €24.99. The report finds the certificate and advisory report for that address, states the rating on the 2026 scale, and puts it beside flood, radon and planning for the same house. Free snapshot first, no account.
The A0 to G scale
Since 24 May 2026 the scale has eight ratings: A0, A, B, C, D, E, F and G. A0 is the top and is only for homes that are very efficient and use no fossil fuel, so a house with a gas boiler cannot get it. G is the bottom: usually an older house with little insulation that is expensive to heat. Before that date the scale had 15 ratings with sub grades such as B1 and C2. A certificate on the old scale stays valid until its own expiry date, so both scales will appear in listings for years.
When is a BER certificate legally required?
SEAI’s sales and rental guidelines set it out. Every building constructed, sold or rented must have a valid BER certificate and advisory report. Every sales or rental advertisement must show the BER: the rating, the nine digit BER number and the energy performance indicator (kilowatt hours per square metre per year). The owner or landlord is responsible for getting the certificate. Enforcement sits with the local Building Control Authority, and SEAI says to notify them if a listing has no BER.
A new home bought off the plans gets a provisional BER from the drawings, valid for 2 years, then a final certificate once the house is built and surveyed.
Some buildings are exempt when sold or rented: protected structures and proposed protected structures, national monuments, places of worship, certain temporary buildings, stand alone buildings under 50 square metres, and some industrial and agricultural buildings with very little heating. A protected structure can still be assessed if the owner wants.
How long is a BER certificate valid?
Ten years from the issue date, unless the house changes in a way that affects its energy performance. SEAI gives two examples: a new extension and a new heating system. After such works, or after the ten years, you need a new assessment. SEAI cannot release copies of expired certificates.
How to find an existing BER
Open the SEAI National BER Register. It searches by one of two keys: the MPRN, the meter point reference number at the top of the electricity bill, or the BER number from the certificate. It does not search by address or Eircode. One catch: for a BER published before 6 July 2021 the advisory report only opens with the MPRN, so a buyer or tenant without the bill has to ask the owner or agent for a copy.
How to get a new BER certificate, and what it costs
Find an assessor on the SEAI National Register of BER Assessors. Assessors are independent, not SEAI staff; the owner engages them directly. SEAI recommends at least three quotes and a signed letter of engagement with the price including VAT.
The price is set by the assessor. Citizens Information gives the typical range: around €150 for an apartment, €200 to €300 for a standard house, depending on size and supplier. SEAI itself publishes no fee.
Before the visit, gather the MPRN, any previous BER, proof of the build year and receipts for insulation, windows or heating works. Without paperwork the assessor uses default values for the age of the house, and those can pull the rating down. The survey normally takes 30 minutes to an hour.
The advisory report
Every certificate comes with one. Since June 2021 the report is a plan for bringing the home to B2 or better: the current and potential rating, a recommended package of upgrades with the building fabric first, rough cost indicators and which grants apply. SEAI says to use it as the starting point for a grant application.
Grants and the BER
SEAI’s One Stop Shop route, the National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme, pays for a package of works that brings the home to at least a B (B2 on the old scale), with the grant taken off the cost up front. The advisory report shows how far the house is from that line. Individual grants (Better Energy Homes, Solar PV) are on the SEAI home grants page; approval must be in place before works start.
Questions people ask
- Is a BER cert the same as a BER certificate?
- Yes. BER cert is the everyday short form of BER certificate, the document SEAI issues with the advisory report.
- Do I need a BER to sell my house?
- Yes, unless the building is exempt (a protected structure, for example). The advertisement must show the rating, the BER number and the energy performance indicator.
- Can I look up a BER by address?
- Not on the SEAI register, which only takes an MPRN or a BER number. The report on this site finds the certificate for an Eircode and shows it with the other checks for that house.
Related: how to check the BER of a house, BER for buyers, BER ratings by county and town, all guides.