BER in Sligo

dingding

I am looking for a Buildings Energy Rating Certificate for a house in Sligo Town.

Can anyone advise if they got a certificate in Sligo town.

Thanks

darealtulip

know Ecoscan does them, saw them on the open day at the IT. www.ecoscan.ie
I pm you the number

dingding

Thanks PM recieved.

Cheers

darealtulip

got yours too:D no probs

starbelgrade

dingding wrote: »

I am looking for a Buildings Energy Rating Certificate for a house in Sligo Town.

Can anyone advise if they got a certificate in Sligo town.

Thanks

Hi Dingding!

I'm certified to to BER Certificates - if you want any info or a price quote, just let me know. I'll PM you my details.

starbelgrade

I should also mention that I'm a qualified Architectural Technician with over 10 years experience in the construction industry, so I know my stuff!

I did the BER course here in Sligo & there was everyone from Carpenters to Auctioneers doing the course... now I'd be confident asking a Chippie to hang a few doors in a new house, but he wouldn't be the first person I'd look to for advice on specifying improved U-Values in the construction of the building fabric!

I wouldn't trust an Auctioneer full stop.

All I'm saying is that if anyone's looking for a BER cert, just be careful & ask about their construction background... & preferably go for someone with an architectural, engineering or building services background.

Get in touch peeps!

darealtulip

ecoscan is not an auctioneer and is independent from any developer or buildingtrade. the cert only costs 2500 euro so every one can get it. as starbelgrade says watch who you get. make sure they are not just a builder who started it aswell coz lots do! Make sure they work for you and nobody else.

starbelgrade

darealtulip wrote: »

ecoscan is not an auctioneer and is independent from any developer or buildingtrade. the cert only costs 2500 euro so every one can get it. as starbelgrade says watch who you get. make sure they are not just a builder who started it aswell coz lots do! Make sure they work for you and nobody else.

I never meant to imply anything AGAINST ecoscan (I'm not sure that you are implying that I implied that, but I just wanted to clarify!!) - they seem to have a decent set-up there if their website is anything to go by.

I presume that you meant to say they charge €250 and not €2500?

darealtulip

starbelgrade wrote: »

I never meant to imply anything AGAINST ecoscan (I'm not sure that you are implying that I implied that, but I just wanted to clarify!!) - they seem to have a decent set-up there if their website is anything to go by.

I presume that you meant to say they charge €250 and not €2500?

I was not implying, I was agreeing with you.

I read that the goverment had a only asks 2500 euro for a compagny to get their aproaval (forgot what it is called, help me out!! the dutch word stays in my head) This will mean that every cowboy can start it up. and they do, heard a lot of the builders are trying to get into it aswell.

I have no idea what ecoscan asks at all, just had a chat with the guy at the open day at the IT.

sorry it's not a very clear post, im in the middle of cooking!!! edit later:p

starbelgrade

darealtulip wrote: »

I was not implying, I was agreeing with you.

I read that the goverment had a only asks 2500 euro for a compagny to get their aproaval (forgot what it is called, help me out!! the dutch word stays in my head) This will mean that every cowboy can start it up. and they do, heard a lot of the builders are trying to get into it aswell.

I have no idea what ecoscan asks at all, just had a chat with the guy at the open day at the IT.

sorry it's not a very clear post, im in the middle of cooking!!! edit later:p

Cooking AND typing - very impressive!

darealtulip

our comp is in the kitchen, too much temptation!!:D

starbelgrade

darealtulip wrote: »

our comp is in the kitchen, too much temptation!!:D

And mine's in my office - no wonder the work is backlogging. (I wish!)

Xiney

I think I understand what Mr Tulip was trying to say.

He wasn't saying that ecoscan cost 2500 bucks to cert your home, he's saying it costs 2500 bucks to get the cert that allows you to charge to cert homes.

darealtulip

Xiney wrote: »

I think I understand what Mr Tulip was trying to say.

He wasn't saying that ecoscan cost 2500 bucks to cert your home, he's saying it costs 2500 bucks to get the cert that allows you to charge to cert homes.

yes thank you!

Mrs.T

starbelgrade wrote: »

Cooking AND typing - very impressive!

I bet you're thinking I'm a lucky, lucky girl! :P

darealtulip

Mrs.T wrote: »

I bet you're thinking I'm a lucky, lucky girl! :P

you are!!!!

starbelgrade

Xiney wrote: »

I think I understand what Mr Tulip was trying to say.

He wasn't saying that ecoscan cost 2500 bucks to cert your home, he's saying it costs 2500 bucks to get the cert that allows you to charge to cert homes.

It's expensive to set up as an Assessor alright.. so far I've paid out;

€1400 for the BER course fees
€ 550 for a laptop (I have a PC, but needed a laptop to do the course)
€1210 to register with SEI (Sustainable Energy Ireland)
€ 350 for professional indemnity insurance (my own insurance didn't cove it for some odd reason)
€350 on advertising (newspaper ad & fliers)

And I've yet to pay for the website (which is why it's not up & running). So all in all, I was pushing onto €4000 before even getting any clients. Some BER training companies are charging a lot more for course fees too.

If - as SEI say - there are 1200 registered assessors in the country, the training companies have grossed at least €2.5 million between them.. and that DOESN'T include people who

a). paid for the course & dropped out (there were 2 who did so in the class I was in - a class of 8 people)
b). paid for the course but failed the exam
c). paid for the course, passed the exam, but are still awaiting FETAC accreditation before they can register with SEI
d). can't afford to register (I know a few!)

Xiney

starbelgrade wrote: »

€1210 to register with SEI (Sustainable Energy Ireland)

:eek:

That's shocking.

darealtulip

Xiney wrote: »

:eek:

That's shocking.

I think its shocking aswell, the cost are not that high which makes it achiveble for a lot of people who can do it as a sideline. Dont know if that's to good. It means it's very easy to get your mate to do it and give cert out for you. Like the auctioneers getting into it aswell. You get dubble interests. If it was more expensive a lot less people would go into it. You would only do it if you're serious about making a living from it.

It would be even better if there was a test or something on how you do your job every year orso. Test a random house you have done and see if the conclusions are the same. I'm afraid that big devolpers can get away with bad insulation if it's their mates giving out the certs.

starbelgrade

darealtulip wrote: »

I think its shocking aswell, the cost are not that high which makes it achiveble for a lot of people who can do it as a sideline. Dont know if that's to good. It means it's very easy to get your mate to do it and give cert out for you. Like the auctioneers getting into it aswell. You get dubble interests. If it was more expensive a lot less people would go into it. You would only do it if you're serious about making a living from it.

It would be even better if there was a test or something on how you do your job every year orso. Test a random house you have done and see if the conclusions are the same. I'm afraid that big devolpers can get away with bad insulation if it's their mates giving out the certs.

The SEI audit every assessor on a regular basis, so we'll soon see how it's enforced.

Xiney

darealtulip wrote: »

I'm afraid that big devolpers can get away with bad insulation if it's their mates giving out the certs.

I agree - I was thinking about asking for a BER certificate when our lease is up on this place (in part because I'm curious, in part because I think we'd be entitled to one, and in part because I guarantee this place would score very low thus giving us leverage to knock a few quid off the rent [or bargain for an electric shower or something] especially if rents keep trending downwards) but knowing that it's owned by a construction company, they'd probably have someone on staff with the cert who'd give this place a more favourable rating than it deserves.

muffler

There's a helluva lot of self pimpage in this thread.

OP click on the SEI link here and enter Sligo for the location and it will give you the full list of approved assessors for the area.

Mrs.T

muffler wrote: »

There's a helluva lot of self pimpage in this thread.

Yeah, I thought Mr T's showing off that he was cooking and typing was shocking too! :eek:;)

muffler

Mrs.T wrote: »

Yeah, I thought Mr T's showing off that he was cooking and typing was shocking too! :eek:;)

What was he doing with the other hand? :eek:

muffler

Xiney wrote: »

I agree - I was thinking about asking for a BER certificate when our lease is up on this place (in part because I'm curious, in part because I think we'd be entitled to one, and in part because I guarantee this place would score very low thus giving us leverage to knock a few quid off the rent [or bargain for an electric shower or something] especially if rents keep trending downwards) but knowing that it's owned by a construction company, they'd probably have someone on staff with the cert who'd give this place a more favourable rating than it deserves.

You will be entitled to a BER cert when you renew the lease. You are right to be sceptical but if you suspect theres something amiss then there are avenues you can go down and there are severe penalties for anyone who knowingly issues a false cert.

jimmmy

muffler wrote: »

You are right to be sceptical but if you suspect theres something amiss then there are avenues you can go down and there are severe penalties for anyone who knowingly issues a false cert.

the key word is "knowingly". I read in one of the newspapers last week where they got 3 different surveyors to assess the same house, and they came up with 3 different energy ratings, not to mention 3 different fees. No wonder the public are sceptical of the whole thing.

Mrs.T

muffler wrote: »

What was he doing with the other hand? :eek:

Well it wasn't tidying up!!!:rolleyes:

dingding

Thanks for the list of providers in Sligo. I take the points about the quality of the survey but I am using it for an apartment I am renting and I just need it to fill the requirement to have a cert. I don't intend in the current climate upgrading the apartment as a result of the findings. (It is only 5 years old so it should not be too bad.)

I will email all the providers that have provided email addresses asking for a quote and I with a description of the size and location of the apartment and I will get the quote done on price after that.

I have quotes between €450 :mad:and €190 (someone outside the area) currently from the few contacts that I got here.



Cheers

starbelgrade

jimmmy wrote: »

the key word is "knowingly". I read in one of the newspapers last week where they got 3 different surveyors to assess the same house, and they came up with 3 different energy ratings, not to mention 3 different fees. No wonder the public are sceptical of the whole thing.

That article was a prime example of lazy, cynical journalism & stopped far short of a full, proper investigation of the issue - it was so bad, I thought I was reading an article in the The Weekender!

3 assessors assessed the property - each assesment of an existing building will ALWAYS vary depending on the experience & opinion of the assessor... it's a bit like asking a garage to look at an old car & tell you what needs fixing. And of course prices will ALWAYS vary.

The fact is, that the ratings given were actually not that far apart from each other. You also need to take into account that none of the Certs were actually published - the program we use (DEAP) will pick up any noticable errrors in the inputted data & will not allow you to publish the final cert until all errors are rectified. Had the 3 assessors done this, the results would possibly have been closer, but as only 1 cert can be issued per dwelling, this was never going to be fully investigated - hence, the lazy journalism.

The key is - when getting a quote ... ALWAYS ask about the assessors previous experience in the comstruction industry & any other relevant qualifications... there's a big difference between qualified & competant in all professions & trades... buyer beware!