Ireland's Building Energy Rating (BER) system grades homes from A1 (most efficient) to G (least). Based on 1,403,166 assessments in the SEAI BER Public Search dataset, this page explores how Irish homes rate — and how they're improving.
C-rated homes are the most common — the legacy of construction standards in the 1970s–1990s. The spike at A2 reflects Ireland's new-build standards since 2016, when nearly all new homes must achieve A-rated performance.
56% of homes assessed in 2024–25 are now A or B rated — up from just 10% in 2013. Tighter building regulations and retrofit grants are driving this shift.
The share of A/B-rated homes at assessment has risen dramatically — from 22% in 2009 to over 56% today. The steep rise from 2017 onwards reflects the Near Zero Energy Building (NZEB) standard for new homes, combined with the SEAI's Home Energy Scheme grants.
The 2010–2012 spike in HES upgrades reflects the government's post-recession retrofit stimulus. Grant support has remained steady at 15–20% of all assessments since 2016.
There is a stark relationship between construction era and energy performance. Pre-1900 homes average 401 kWh/m²/year — nearly 10× the energy demand of a modern A-rated home built after 2016 (43 kWh/m²/year).
| Era | Homes | A/B rated | D–G rated | Avg kWh/m² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-1900 | 36,495 | 9.1% | 78.2% | 401 |
| 1900–29 | 76,740 | 9.9% | 77% | 398 |
| 1930–49 | 63,059 | 13% | 67.3% | 338 |
| 1950–69 | 116,165 | 15.1% | 62.8% | 295 |
| 1970–79 | 137,614 | 15.6% | 53.8% | 253 |
| 1980–89 | 123,272 | 17.6% | 44% | 224 |
| 1990–99 | 179,357 | 21% | 35.9% | 209 |
| 2000–05 | 268,316 | 28.2% | 18.3% | 183 |
| 2006–10 | 152,160 | 53% | 8.6% | 153 |
| 2011–15 | 19,419 | 96% | 1% | 79 |
| 2016+ | 230,569 | 99.8% | 0% | 43 |
Apartments rate significantly better than houses — mid-floor apartments benefit from heat retention from neighbours on all sides. Detached houses are the hardest to insulate efficiently, with the highest proportion of F and G ratings.
Among the 260,603 homes that completed a SEAI Home Energy Scheme (HES) upgrade, attic insulation is by far the most popular measure — present in virtually all retrofit projects. Cavity wall insulation is the second most common, followed by window upgrades and solar hot water.
Additionally, 82,085 homes across all assessments (5.8%) have underfloor heating — often paired with heat pumps in newer builds.
Mains gas and heating oil are almost evenly split as the dominant heating fuels, together accounting for two-thirds of all homes. The electricity share (27%) includes homes with heat pumps, storage heaters, and electric boilers — a segment that will grow as retrofits accelerate.
Dublin 18 (Sandyford, Foxrock, Stillorgan) leads the country with 70% of homes rated A or B — driven by newer, larger stock. Dublin 7 and rural western counties have the lowest share of high-rated homes, reflecting older housing stock with limited retrofit activity.
Data source: SEAI BER Public Search dataset (1,403,166 assessments). Figures represent homes that received a BER assessment — not all Irish homes. New builds are over-represented relative to the national stock. Assessment year ranges from 2009 to 2025.
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