How to prepare for a BER assessment

On the day of the assessment, you will have to provide some information about the property. To prepare for a BER assessment, we will need you to do your best to provide the following to ensure a fast and accurate survey:

Proof of the age of the property

Proof of the year that any extensions to the original property were built. This is typically in the form of contractor receipts or invoices addressed to the property

MPRN for the property which can be found at the top of your electricity bill

Instruction/installation manuals for the heating system, ventilation system and hot water storage

Certification and evidence of any energy efficiency upgrade works carried out on the property.

You may not have all the information and documentation listed above but the BER assessment can still be carried out. In some instances, this might delay the length of time it takes to carry out a survey and publish the BER, in other instances it might mean a less accurate BER result, usually lower than what might be achieved with the documentation.

The assessment is an unintrusive survey, meaning that we will not be meddling with/dismantling appliances or making holes to see into walls, floors or roofs. We request that any lights wired into the property have their lamp shades removed if there is no access to the light bulb. If we can not see the type of bulb being used, we will have to record it as incandescent, even if it is an LED.

If you live in an apartment building please arrange access to the electricity meter. If you a have a shared heating or hot water supply as in some apartment buildings or a district heating scheme, you must arrange access with the persons responsible for managing the system.

Understanding the documentation required for the BER can be a bit tricky and sometimes multiple documents are required for a BER assessor to include energy efficiency upgrades that have been carried out on the property, improving the BER. If this is not supplied, a lower level of energy efficiency will have to be assumed, leading to a lower BER result. We have a detailed explanation below on how the SEAI allows BER assessors to use evidence for inclusion in the assessment.

For further reading on how to prepare for the survey please visit the SEAI website and review their BER for homeowners web page, watch their video below and continue reading below.

SEAI video on how to prepare for a BER assessment

Evidence and Certification

If your home has received any energy efficiency upgrade works, we might need you to provide evidence that the works have been completed. In some cases we can see for ourselves during the survey that the measures have been installed. In other cases it is impossible to decipher what works have been done, including but not limited to: floor insulation; dry lining (internal wall) insulation, and external wall insulation. For these instances in particular you need to understand how to prepare for a BER and get the correct documentation in advance of the assessment.

If we can not see the full extent to which works have been carried out and we are not supplied with the necessary evidence, the SEAI will not allow us to include these energy efficiency measures in our calculations. We will then have to revert to default values for the particular building element in question and the property will receive a lower BER than what might be possible.

As evidence for completed works, we need you to provide us with one of the following:

Contractor receipts or invoices showing the address of the property being surveyed and clearly detailing quantities of materials supplied and describing the insulation type/product/manufacturer and thickness

Specifications, declarations on headed paper or drawings stating the type and thickness of insulation installed. These documents must be signed off by the architect, engineer or assigned certifier (SEAI registered contractor who completed the works)

Declaration of Works from the SEAI grant schemes

As well as supplying us with one of the above pieces of documentation, we will need certification for the materials described in that evidence. These certificates must be issued by a suitable registered body such as “NSAI” or “CE”. There are many more certifying bodies but these are the most common. Data sheets for materials, produced by the product suppliers, are not considered to be suitable certificates. Certificates that are in foreign languages must be translated by a professional service to be accepted for the BER.

Examine the image below for examples of acceptable documentation and certificates and notice how the “invoice” clearly details the materials used (highlighted in green boxes) and these match the descriptions on the “certificates” (also highlighted in green).

You can still get the BER certificate without any documentation but this will very likely decrease the BER and the result will not be as accurate a reflection on the dwelling energy efficiency as possible. If you are unsure about your documentation we advise that you contact the SEAI helpdesk for further clarification.

Documentation required by SEAI for each measure

The energy efficiency upgrades listed in the section below will typically require documentation so as to be included in the BER calculations. If you have had any of these energy efficiency upgrades carried out on the property, please follow the link to scroll to the relevant section to better understand what documentation you need to provide.

List of Documentation

Heating system, hot water storage and controls

Solar water heating system

Solar PV

Floor Insulation

1.1 As-built drawings / specifications (signed off by the architect, engineer, or assigned certifier) stating the type & thickness of insulation installed and the address of the property being surveyed

1.2 Copies of Invoices/sales receipts addressed to the property being surveyed with detailed description of materials, including insulation make/model, thickness of insulation installed, and quantity of insulation installed

1.3 Report of works signed off by contractor showing area of surface insulated, insulation thickness and make/model of insulation installed

AND

2. Insulation certification

AND

3. Photographs (showing insulation type and thickness) where available

Roof Insulation

1.3 Report of works signed off by contractor showing area of surface insulated, insulation thickness and make/model of insulation installed

1.4 Declaration of works for SEAI grant schemes showing area of surface insulated, insulation thickness and type

AND

2. Insulation certification

AND

3. Photographs (showing insulation type and thickness) where available

Wall Insulation

1.3 Report of works signed off by contractor showing area of surface insulated, insulation thickness and make/model of insulation installed

1.4 Declaration of works for SEAI grant schemes showing area of surface insulated, insulation thickness and type

AND

2. Insulation certification

AND

3. Photographs (showing insulation type and thickness) where available

Windows

1. Confirmation of window type/glazing specification installed through as built drawings, specifications or invoices addressed to the property

AND

2. Window certification that clearly shows the value for U-window or Uw, the measure of heat loss through the entire window (glazing +frame)

External Doors

1. Confirmation of door make and model installed, shown through as built drawings, specifications or invoices addressed to the property

AND

2. Door certification

Airtightnes / Air Permeability / Pressure Test

Copy of pressure test cert provided by person with relevant accreditation which details:

-airtightness test result

-relevant test standar

-address of house

-Date of test

Whole House Mechanical Ventilation

If unit is inaccessible for survey then dwelling specifications, invoices or receipts addressed to the property may be used to support the make/model of the ventilation system.

Space and Water Heating System

manuals/installation documents for heating system (gas/oil boilers/ electric rads/ stoves…). If there is a heat pump then installer/designer sign off sheet, accredited test certs and ecodesign data.

Solar Water Heating

1. addressed invoice/receipts of solar collector indicating make & model

AND

2. Certificate / specification / datasheet for solar collector

AND

3. Datasheets for hot water storage or receipts/invoices for installation

Solar PV

1. Invoice/receipts addressed to the property being surveyed indicating make & model solar panels

How to prepare for a BER assessment

SEAI video on how to prepare for a BER assessment

Evidence and Certification

Documentation required by SEAI for each measure

List of Documentation

Floor Insulation

Roof Insulation

Wall Insulation

Windows

External Doors

Airtightnes / Air Permeability / Pressure Test

Whole House Mechanical Ventilation

Space and Water Heating System

Solar Water Heating

Solar PV

Learn more about the BER process

Return to Home page

Go to SEAI web page "BER for Homeowners"