Home Energy Assessment

Why is it important to include a BER Assessment in your Home Energy Assessment?

A BER assessment is more than a rating. When included as part of a Home Energy Assessment, it provides essential context, accuracy, and credibility that helps homeowners understand their home properly and plan upgrades with confidence.

Published on 02 February 2026 : Updated 03 February • 5 minute read

Understanding the role of a BER Assessment in your Home Energy Assessment

When homeowners hear the term BER Assessment, many assume it is simply a certificate or a score needed for compliance. On its own, a BER does provide useful information, but when it is included as part of a Home Energy Assessment, it becomes far more valuable.

This question often comes up for homeowners in Dublin and Mayo who want to understand their home properly before committing to upgrades or grants.

A Home Energy Assessment is designed to explain how your home performs as a whole. The BER Assessment plays a key role in making that understanding accurate, measurable and reliable.

What is a BER Assessment?

A Building Energy Rating, commonly known as a BER, measures the energy efficiency of your home using a standard national methodology.

It takes into account:

The fabric of your home such as walls, roof and floors
Heating and hot water systems
Ventilation and controls
Energy demand and carbon performance

The result is a rating scale that allows homes to be compared using the same benchmarks.

Why a BER matters within a Home Energy Assessment

Including a BER Assessment ensures that recommendations are based on measured performance rather than assumptions.

The BER establishes a clear starting point for your home and provides a reliable reference before any upgrades are considered. This allows advice to be grounded in evidence and makes it easier to understand why certain improvements are recommended over others.

BER only assessment versus a full Home Energy Assessment:

BER only assessment

What it gives you:

A rating and certificate.
Level of insight
A snapshot at one point in time.
Heat loss visibility
Limited visibility of where heat is being lost.
How the home is viewed
Individual elements are assessed separately.
Guidance provided
Minimal guidance beyond compliance.
Upgrade decisions
Can lead to isolated upgrades with limited impact

Home Energy Assessment with BER

What it gives you:

A full understanding of how your home performs.
Level of insight
Deeper explanation with real context.
Heat loss visibility
Clear insight into where heat is being lost.
How the home is viewed
Your whole home is assessed as one system.
Guidance provided
Practical guidance tailored to your home.
Upgrade decisions
Helps avoid changes that deliver limited comfort or savings.

How the BER supports better planning and grants

Including a BER within a Home Energy Assessment makes planning clearer and more structured.

It allows you to understand your current performance, compare upgrade options accurately and plan improvements in the correct order. Many SEAI grants rely on BER data, so having this information in place also supports future grant applications even if you do not plan to upgrade immediately.

What you receive when a BER is included

When a BER Assessment is included as part of your Home Energy Assessment, it becomes a practical decision making tool rather than just a document.

You receive your current BER chart along with a clear explanation of what the rating means for your home and how different improvements could influence future performance.

Limited-Time Offer

Get your free Expert consultation & Quote!

Thinking about upgrading your home? Don’t miss this limited offer — get a free, no-obligation quote and personalised advice from our retrofit experts. It only takes a minute to get started.

Get my free quote

Is including a BER Assessment worth it?

For most homeowners, it is.

Homes can feel cold or inefficient for many reasons. Without a measured baseline, it is easy to focus on the wrong solution whether that is insulation, heating or ventilation. Including a BER Assessment helps ensure that advice is accurate, structured and specific to your home.

What happens next?

A Home Energy Assessment that includes a BER is not a sales step. It is a clarity step.

After the assessment, you understand how your home performs today, what the BER means in real terms and which options make sense for you. You can then decide what happens next in your own time.

If your goal is clear, reliable insight into your home’s performance, including a BER Assessment within your Home Energy Assessment is an important first step.

Enjoy Year-Round Comfort with a Heat Pump

Take advantage of up to €10,500 in SEAI grants for your new heat pump installation, a smooth, hassle-free upgrade that improves your home’s energy efficiency.

Is my home is Heatpump ready?

Author

Mary Hilda Hurley, Retrofit Expert

Published on 02 February 2026: Updated 03 February • 5 minute read

Share with

D1 → A3, massive increase in comfort & over 70% reduction in energy bills!

John and Brenda wanted a warmer, more efficient home as they looked ahead to retirement.

“For me it was more about the cost… Brenda was more about the heat. We brought both of our reasons together and found Churchfield. Churchfield were so helpful in every area.” — John Brady

Your Complete Energy Upgrade Solution

Home Energy Assessment

Talk to an Expert

Your Complete Energy Upgrade Solution

Home Energy Assessment

Talk to an Expert

Your Complete Energy Upgrade Solution

Home Energy Assessment

Talk to an Expert

External Wall Insulation

Internal Wall Insulation

Cavity Wall Insulation

Attic Insulation

External Wall Insulation

Internal Wall Insulation

Cavity Wall Insulation

Attic Insulation

External Wall Insulation

Internal Wall Insulation

Cavity Wall Insulation

Attic Insulation

External Wall Insulation

Internal Wall Insulation

Cavity Wall Insulation

Attic Insulation

Mechanical Heat Recovery Ventilation

Demand Control Ventilation

Natural Ventilation

Mechanical Heat Recovery Ventilation

Demand Control Ventilation

Natural Ventilation

Mechanical Heat Recovery Ventilation

Demand Control Ventilation

Natural Ventilation

Heat Pump

Gas Boiler

Oil Boiler

Heat Pump

Gas Boiler

Oil Boiler

Heat Pump

Gas Boiler

Oil Boiler

Generate Your Own Energy!

Why Solar PV

Our Installation Includess

Generate Your Own Energy!

Why Solar PV

Our Installation Includess

Generate Your Own Energy!

Why Solar PV

Our Installation Includess

Modern Homes

Vacant & Derelict Homes

Defective Concrete Blocks Homes

Traditional Homes

Insulation

Ventilation

Heating Upgrades

Solar PV

Fully Funded Home Upgrades

Upgrades Available

Am I Eligible?

Find the Right Grant for You

Speak with Our Experts

Affordable Finance Options

Who We Are

Why Choose Churchfield

How Churchfield Works

Careers at Churchfield

Who We Are

Why Choose Churchfield

How Churchfield Works

Careers at Churchfield

Who We Are

Why Choose Churchfield

How Churchfield Works

Careers at Churchfield

Who We Are

Why Choose Churchfield

Request a
Free, No-Obligation
Consultation Today!