A Building Energy Rating or BER is an energy efficiency rating for homes. It indicates the level of carbon dioxide emissions for the home at the time of certification. A-rated homes are the most energy-efficient and G-rated homes the least efficient. Most houses built before 1990 score a D rating or worse**. This is particularly the case where there have been no upgrades or significant energy improvements. Since 2009, all homes being sold or offered for rent need a BER certificate. The BER will reflect any improvements in the energy efficiency capability of your home. It will be valid for ten years should you decide to sell or rent your house. To qualify for a Better Energy Homes Savings scheme grant from SEAI you must complete a BER each time you apply for grant assistance. A BER is an integral part of all grant applications under the Better Energy Homes scheme. Under the scheme, homeowners must undertake a BER on their home after grant aided works have been completed. A homeowner is entitled to once-off BER funding of €50 per home. This funding will be applied to your grant application automatically. This is provided you have never before applied for BER funding. You will be informed during the online grant application process if BER funding is available for your home. Otherwise, you'll be informed as part of your Letter of Grant Offer if you have applied through the post. It is advisable that you apply for and undertake all planned grant aided works at the same time to minimise the costs of multiple BER assessments. For more information on SEAI grants, please visit www.seai.ie/grants. **Source SEAI. Savings and losses are calculated by SEAI Grants are subject to BER. For full details on SEAI grants visit www.seai.ie/grants. Did this answer your question? Yes No Thank you for your feedback