A Building Energy Rating Certificate (BER) is part of the Energy Performance of Buildings EU Directive. The aim of the Directive is to make the energy performance of a building transparent and available to potential purchasers or tenants.

A Building Energy Rating Certificate (BER) is a check to determine the energy you property uses in a year, and the amount of carbon your house will or produce over a given year.

The certificate is similar to the energy label for domestic electrical appliances, which rates the energy performance of the appliance from A to G.

The BER covers energy use for space heating, water heating, ventilation and lighting, calculated on the basis of standard occupancy and is be valid for 10 years from the date of its being issued.

The certificate is now required at the point of sale or rental of a building, or on completion of a new building. The BER is only a rating of a home's energy efficiency.

Recommended improvements are included with the BER. The homeowner looking to sell or rent is under no obligation to make any recommended improvements.

The Building Energy Rating is an indication of the energy performance of a specific dwelling. It covers energy use for space heating, water heating, ventilation and lighting, calculated on the basis of standard occupancy. It is expressed as primary energy use per unit floor area per year.