Five ways to improve your BER rating!
What is a BER rating?
BER stands for Building Energy Rating and label given to homes to rank their energy efficiency and the estimated cost of energy bills. The rating is done on a scale from A to G – A being the most energy efficient and G being the least.
When buying or selling a home or trying to reduce costs and improve your sustainability, the BER is a good indicator of how much improvement is needed. The good news is you don’t have to write off homes with a low score.
Here are five ways to improve your BER rating.
1. INSULATE YOUR HOME
Insulation can greatly improve your rating. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland says that without insulation up to 30% of the heat in your home escapes through the walls and another 30% through the roof. Though insulation can be costly, you are investing in your home, adding value, being more sustainable and reducing the cost of your future heating bills. The SEAI have a number of grants available to help you too.
2. SET YOUR THERMOSTAT
Setting your thermostat, a degree lower can equate to almost 10% of energy savings according to the SEAI. Installing a smart thermostat that automatically adjusts the temperature can save even more and improve your BER rating.
With some changes and adjustments to your home you can improve your BER rating and reduce the cost of your energy bills.
3. USE RENEWABLE ENERGY
Installing a renewable energy system such as solar panels to your home is a sure-fire way to improve the BER rating. Installation of these systems is expensive but the SEAI have grants to assist with the cost. Having a renewable energy system will add value to your home and will save you money on energy bills in the long term too.
4. USE LOW ENERGY BULBS
Replace all the lightbulbs in your home with low-energy LED bulbs to save energy and money on your bills.
5. REPLACE ALL OLD WINDOWS
Older windows with inefficient glazing are notorious for letting warm air escape from your home. You can use draught stripping to seal old windows to improve this or replace the windows with newer, better-rated ones. Replacing windows will have a significant effect on your heating bills.