Most three-bed semis built before the late 1990 s, have an average of a D or E rating. The cost of reducing energy bills and upping the comfort levels differs through low-cost measures such as lagging a water tank and putting in low-energy bulb ( about €50) to more expensive options such as insulating walls, attic & floors to replacing heating systems and windows.

The first two low-cost measures, which people can do themselves, may not increase a rating- it all depends on the house age, build construction method and materials, floor area, number of windows and opening, heating system and so on. A BER assessor will check around 80 things overall, and set them through special software to get the rating.

What will increase a BER are increasing the insulation in attics and walls, zoning heating and hot water and installing an energy-efficient boiler. Wall insulation varies depending on the type of construction. Pumping it into cavity walls expenses between €700 – €1, 000, adding internal insulation is around €7, 000 – €R10, 000, while external insulation can expense from €1 0,000 -20,000. All of the measures qualify for grants from the SEAI ( seai.ie) whose website also has more detailed information on the costs of each upgrade. It is important to note that can only use a registered builder to avail of any SEAI grant.

Insulating the roof and walls and adding in a boiler (€2, 000 – €3, 000) could take the average rating into the Cs. To get an A rating the house would need a complete overall including digging up the floors and insulating those along with adding some form of renewable energy eg solar panel, geothermal heating or air to water technology etc.