New analysis from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has claimed that improving the energy efficiency of a home can lead to a 2.7% increase in its final sale price for each step up the Building Energy Rating (BER) scale.
The SEAI assessed data on around 50,000 properties sold during 2023 and 2024, and found that houses that had improved their energy efficiency recorded an average uplift of 2.8% per BER step, compared with 2.2% for apartments.
The increase was more pronounced in rural areas, where each improvement on the BER scale was associated with a 4.7% increase in value. In urban areas outside Dublin, the uplift was 2.7%, while in Dublin, it stood at 1.7%.
‘Positive, proportionate effect’
“The impact of a better BER on day-to-day running costs and the environment is already clear, and now this innovative analysis proves the positive, proportionate effect the rating has on house prices in urban, suburban and rural areas around the country,” commented Joanne Geary, managing director of MyHome.
“These research findings give homeowners yet another compelling reason to investigate a home energy upgrade as we look to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.”
BER scale
The findings come after Ireland introduced a simplified eight-point BER scale in May 2026, replacing the previous 15-point scale. The study was conducted using the previous scale, with most of the properties included therein sold prior to the introduction of the new system.
Last year, SEAI government grant schemes supported energy upgrades in more than 58,600 homes across Ireland, supported by more than €230 million in investment.
“Thousands of homeowners across the country are already enjoying the benefits of retrofitting, living in warmer, more comfortable homes, with cheaper, more predictable energy bills,” added William Walsh, CEO of SEAI. “The research we’re publishing today adds yet another compelling reason to upgrade your home – we now have very clear evidence that homebuyers are increasingly valuing the resilience, day-to-day affordability and health benefits of owning a retrofitted home.” Read more here.
