Over 100,000 Irish homes assessed under the BER scheme

Figures released from Sustainable Energy Ireland reveal that over 100,000 Irish homes have had Building Energy Ratings completed to date, the majority of which were completed since January 2009, the first year for full implementation of the BER scheme. Introduced in 2007 as a requirement of the EU Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings, the rate of BER publications has steadily increased in 2009, averaging 300 per day, Which Sustainable Energy Ireland indicates an increasing awareness of and compliance with the legislation.

Initially the scheme only applied to new homes, but since 1 January 2009 all homes being sold or rented are also required to have a BER certificate that shows prospective buyers or tenants the energy performance of the home. Interestingly, research shows that landlords are the group most aware of the need for a BER certificate, with awareness now at 76 per cent. While awareness is improving in most quarters, tenants looking to rent are the least aware of their entitlement to get a BER cert with awareness only at 38 per cent - a fact which could be seen to reflect concerns that compliance with the requirement for BER is at its lowest in the rental market.
 
Commenting on the BER programme, energy minister Eamon Ryan said: “The BER scheme is a practical scheme which helps current and prospective homeowners make informed choices when selecting or upgrading a property. The success of the scheme last year shows that the energy performance and efficiency of a property is becoming increasingly important for Irish homeowners.”
 
Environment minister John Gormley said: “The systems now in place and the increasing consumer awareness will be important factors in the continuous improvement of the energy performance of our building stock. This will help underpin future building regulation changes and efforts to upgrade existing buildings. ”
 
SEI CEO Professor Owen Lewis said: “Putting aside the difficult economic conditions in 2009, the first year of full operation of the BER scheme has been a successful one. However, there are many homes for sale or rent out there that have not yet been assessed, and need to be, if they are not to fall foul of the regulations. SEI is calling on people who are looking to buy or rent homes to insist upon receiving a BER certificate as their right, so they are fully informed of the energy performance before finalising any property transactions.