What is a Building Energy Rating (BER)?

A Building Energy Rating is a certificate and advisory report given to a home. The certificate shows the homes currant "Energy Rating", on an A to G scale, A being the highest or best performing buildings and G being the lowest or worst performing buildings, in terms of energy efficiency. An A rated home is likely to be highly insulated, allowing the building to be heated using much less energy, while a G rated home will be the opposite. The advisory report will then outline possible ways to improve on the buildings energy efficacy which will ultimately lead to an improved energy rating.

BERs are carried out by registered independent assessors, who must have completed a credited training course. To calculate a BER the heating of the home, heating of the water, lighting and ventilation are all taken into account. The most important considerations relating to these areas are the size and layout of the home, the heating system and the water heating system and also the insulation. The energy performance will be given in the following format:

Energy use per unit floor area per year (kWh/m2/yr)

and

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions (kgCO2/m2/yr)

A BER does not take into account the energy usage of electrical appliances such as fridges, cookers, washing machines and televisions. The BER will only have accounted for electricity used related to heating, lighting, pumps and fans.

It is the home owners responsibility to provide a Building Energy Rating when offering a home for sale or rent. The details of the BER details must also be provided on any advertisements relating to sale or rent. This is important as it provides the potential buyer or renter vital information on how much the home will cost to run, which ultimately affects the sale and/or rental value of the property.

For the best possible BER we would recommend choosing us to fit one of our "Thermo Extra" attic stairs. 

We hope this was helpful.

All the best.

The Original Attic Stairs Team.