Improving BER advice

Nalz

Hi, Just looking to get some advice on improving the BER in the house. Have been getting a few quotes for different things but want to know what are the best investments and will make the biggest difference.

House is 19 years old, 4 bed semi, BER from 4 years ago was C2 and all we have done so far is switch lightbulbs to LED. Our bills aren't terrible at all but we would like the house to be more comfortable.

Construction of house means external insulation is the only option for the walls which is the only thing we aren't really considering because of the price (15-20k+ incl grant). What we are considering is;
*Attic insulation (seems like the main no brainer)
*Replacing front and back door with composite and triple glazed glass (Quote 3600)
*Replacing open fire with a stove (probably wood burner)
*Replacing all window glass to lowEplus glass (Quote 3700)
*Replacing original gas boiler to energy efficient one with heat controls (Quote 1800 incl grant)
*8 solar panels with battery(Quote 8600 incl grant)

So lots of options but just want advice on picking the best ones. Ideally we would also like to be able to achieve a B3 energy rating as we could then get a cheaper rate on our mortgage. Not sure what ones improve the BER most.

Any advice greatly appreciated, TIA!!

Bdjsjsjs

If you want to jump BER download the Deap software, input your BER XML and learn to play around for easy cheap jumps up. If you want to make your house warmer get a airtightness test and then reconsider above options.

selfbuild17

You say you want to make your house more comfortable. First thing you should be aware of is that the BER rating and the comfort of the house don’t always correlate. PV panels are great for pushing up the BER but they won’t do much in terms of comfort and their payback is still relatively long. Concentrate on insulation and air tightness (while also maintaining adequate controlled ventilation). If comfort is your main concern, I would prioritise as follows:
• Attic insulation
•Replace/repair defective windows and doors
• Find draughts and seal up
•Install room sealed stove if possible
• Install demand controlled ventilation in lieu of existing background vents
• Install external insulation
• Install solar/PV if required

Gumbo

As above but in theory, the air tightness measures don’t add to the BER, but they do of course add to the comfort of the dwelling as mentioned.

Nalz

Thanks all for the replies so far

BryanF

What’s is the purpose of the BER improvements? Save on heating costs, environment, comfort, selling?

Nalz

BryanF wrote: »

What’s is the purpose of the BER improvements? Save on heating costs, environment, comfort, selling?

My wife was looking at this
https://aib.ie/our-products/green-mortgage

AIB wrote:

You already have a mortgage loan with us, your home has a BER rating between A1 and B3 and you’ve more than five years left on the loan

Calahonda52

Nalz wrote: »

My wife was looking at this
https://aib.ie/our-products/green-mortgage

.
Those jerks have some nerve pushing this sort of debt.
Green mortgage my ass, more like GREEDY mortgage with their general lending rates twice the european average.

Bdjsjsjs

Calahonda52 wrote: »

.
Those jerks have some nerve pushing this sort of debt.
Green mortgage my ass, more like GREEDY mortgage with their general lending rates twice the european average.

I don't agree, European counterparts can re possess, unlike ireland. AIB is broke. They need all the cash they can get.

mike_2009

You can get a mortgage fixed for two years at 2.3% as it is, why bother chasing the BER? Ulster Bank and Finance Ireland can do that rate or better too for 5 years depending on your LTV. EIB is encouraging green mortgages with VERY cheap interbank financing but we're not going to see much benefit in Ireland. Holland as a 5 year of 1.7-2.2%
Anyway, back to the OP - get a blower door test for air tightness €250-500. Chase down the draughts and that will give you a good idea where to spend your money. Get a thermal imaging add-on for your mobile phone. It's cold out these days so much easier to see where you are losing heat. Use this inside and out - you can get a company to do this for you but it's handy to see for yourself improvements as you go along.
Attic Insulation & Doors, quick wins.
The Gas boiler made a big difference in terms of our bills, newer condensing one is worth the investment. TRVs on all the rads yet? Then zone and control with an app (water/heating split, unless you want wireless TRVs and total micro management?!). Stick a mag filter in there too if you can to keep the system a bit cleaner.
Other quick wins:
Air Tight loft hatch
Get the windows adjusted, ensure good seals on the openings. Bit of maintenance to make sure they are operating smoothly and close evenly.
What underlay have you downstairs? Is it the original with carpet? Might be worth checking out an upgrade to foil backed underlay if you fancy laying down a new floor. Aerogel if you're rich....!
Pity the external insulation is so expensive, that would be a great win. I did see a house recently where they just installed it upstairs, not sure if it was for cost or other reasons....! Where is the coldest part of the house, just do that side?!

Calahonda52

Bdjsjsjs wrote: »

I don't agree, European counterparts can re possess, unlike ireland. AIB is broke. They need all the cash they can get.

.
So the hard pressed homeowner should still be paying for the crash.
No thanks

Ghetofarmulous

Bdjsjsjs wrote: »

I don't agree, European counterparts can re possess, unlike ireland. AIB is broke. They need all the cash they can get.

Agreed. That’s exactly the reason why interest rates are high. Iv read many property reports this past year during my search for a house and mortgage approval and I came to same conclusion.