BER guide · How long a BER lasts · S.I. 243/2012 read 10 Oct 2026
A BER certificate is valid for 10 years, unless the home changes
A BER certificate is valid for 10 years from the day it was issued (S.I. 243 of 2012; SEAI, read 10 October 2026). It stops counting sooner if the home changes in a way that affects its energy use, such as an extension or new heating. Certificates issued before the new scale of 24 May 2026 stay valid. A grant needs a new BER after the works.
Terraced houses in Cork. A certificate stays with the home for ten years, through a sale or a letting, unless the home changes.
Terrace houses in High Street, from Summerhill South, Cork · David Hawgood · CC BY-SA 2.0
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10 years
How long a BER certificate is valid
S.I. 243/2012 · regulation 22(5)
Published figure24 months
A provisional BER, for a new home bought off the plans
S.I. 243/2012 · regulation 22(7)
Published figure24 May 2026
Scale changed; older certificates still count
CSO, BER Q2 2026 notes · read 10 Oct 2026
Published figureUpdated · S.I. 243/2012 read 10 Oct 2026 · How we know · Corrections
Where this sits · the heat chain
A BER is a standard calculation across all four stages. Your bills also depend on how you live.
- Fabricwalls, roof, floor, windows
- Airdraughts and ventilation
- Heatheat pump or boiler, radiators, controls
- Usebills, comfort, the BER
- The idea behind itA BER is a standard calculation
- You are hereHow long a BER lasts
- Next questionWhat does a BER cert cost?
10 years from the day it was issued
What the law says, and how SEAI puts it. Published figure
The law sets the limit. Published figure
a BER certificate and accompanying advisory report for a building shall be valid until the expiration of 10 years from the date of its issue.
S.I. 243/2012, European Union (Energy Performance of Buildings) Regulations 2012, 10 Oct 2026
SEAI’s register keeps it for the same time. SEAI rule
A BER certificate remains valid on the National Register for 10 years.
SEAI, Your top 10 BER questions, 8 Oct 2026
The new scale of 24 May 2026 didn’t cut any certificate short. Published figure
BERs awarded before 24 May 2026 will remain valid for ten years and are included in the tables of this release.
CSO, Domestic Building Energy Ratings Q2 2026, background notes, 10 Oct 2026
A provisional BER, for a home sold off the plans, lasts much less. Published figure
A provisional BER certificate, where applicable, shall be valid for a period not exceeding 24 months from the date of its issue.
S.I. 243/2012, European Union (Energy Performance of Buildings) Regulations 2012, 10 Oct 2026
When a certificate stops counting early
Changes to the home that end a certificate before its ten years are up. Published figure
What ends a BER certificate early
| Change to the home | In the law’s words |
|---|---|
| An extension | ( b ) any extension of the building, or |
| New heating, or a new fuel | ( c ) any change in the heating system for the building or in the type of fuel used by that system. |
| The building falling into poor repair | ( a ) any significant deterioration in the fabric of the building, |
S.I. 243/2012, regulation 22(6), as made · read 10 Oct 2026
Any material change that could affect the home’s energy use counts. Published figure
A BER certificate and accompanying advisory report shall be rendered invalid if there is any material change in the building to which it relates which could affect its energy performance, including—
S.I. 243/2012, European Union (Energy Performance of Buildings) Regulations 2012, 10 Oct 2026
SEAI gives the same examples. SEAI rule
A BER certificate is valid for up to 10 years, unless the owner makes changes that will impact the dwelling's energy performance - a new house extension or a new heating system for example.
SEAI, Find a BER, 8 Oct 2026
When you need a new one anyway
Some grants and every sale or letting need a BER; a grant needs one after the works. SEAI rule
When a BER is needed, and whether an old one does
| When | What you need | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Selling or renting | A valid certificate, shown in the advert | S.I. 243/2012; SEAI |
| After grant-aided work | A new BER by a registered assessor; SEAI pays €50 towards it on your first grant | SEAI |
| A heat pump grant without a heat-loss check | A valid BER showing a heat loss figure of 2.3 or less | SEAI |
| A solar panel grant | A BER for the home | SEAI |
| After an extension or new heating | A new certificate, if you sell or let | S.I. 243/2012 |
SEAI grant pages and terms, read 10 Oct 2026 · S.I. 243/2012
Every grant claim needs a BER done after the work. SEAI rule
All grant applicants must carry out a post-works BER assessment
SEAI attic insulation grant page, 10 Oct 2026
Once it has expired, SEAI can’t give you a copy. SEAI rule
We cannot provide copies of expired BERs to homeowners, sellers or renters under the S.I. 243 Regulations. If a BER cert has expired you should have a new BER assessment carried out on your home.
SEAI, Find a BER, 8 Oct 2026
Plan the order, save an assessment. A BER costs about €280 each time. SEAI lets you put several jobs in one grant application, so one assessment after the works can cover them all.
Questions people ask
- Do BER certificates expire?
- Yes, 10 years after the day they were issued. SEAI's register shows the expiry date, and SEAI won't give out copies of a certificate once it has expired.
- Can I renew a BER?
- There is no renewal. An expired or out-of-date certificate needs a new assessment, by an assessor on SEAI’s register, and the new certificate replaces the old one.
- Is a B2 certificate still valid after the scale changed?
- Yes. Certificates issued before 24 May 2026 stay valid for their 10 years. A B2 home reads as a B on today's scale; nothing about the house changed.
- How much does a new BER cost?
- SEAI's median for a BER on a semi-detached house was €280 in January to June 2026. Prices depend on the size of the home and the assessor.
How we know
- The law: S.I. 243 of 2012 as made, from the Irish Statute Book, read 10 October 2026. Later amendments, such as the 2026 scale change, may reword it; SEAI says the same today.
- SEAI: SEAI's Find a BER page, its top 10 BER questions and its grant pages, quoted word for word and checked against our saved copies.
- The new scale: The CSO's background notes to its Q2 2026 BER release.
- Prices: SEAI's median BER price, January to June 2026, from grant-aided jobs.
Sources
S.I. 243/2012, European Union (Energy Performance of Buildings) Regulations 2012, 10 Oct 2026 · SEAI, Find a BER, 8 Oct 2026 · CSO, Domestic Building Energy Ratings Q2 2026, background notes, 10 Oct 2026 · SEAI attic insulation grant, 10 Oct 2026
Found a mistake? Every fix is dated on Corrections. Method in full: How we know.
See your grants and what you’d pay
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Updated · S.I. 243/2012 read 10 Oct 2026 · How we know · Corrections