Every published BER in Ireland sits on a public register, so you can look up the rating for almost any property without asking the owner. Here is how to search it, what you need to hand, and what it means when the address you want is not there.
The register
SEAI runs the national BER register and makes it searchable by the public. The search returns the rating band, the certificate number, the date of issue and the expiry date. If you are buying, check the issue date as well as the rating. A certificate from nine years ago describes the house as it was then, not as it is now.

Blank result?
A blank result is usually one of these five things rather than a problem with the register.
Plenty of homes that have not been sold or rented since the requirement came in simply do not have one. Nothing is wrong, the property just needs an assessment before it can be advertised.
A BER lasts ten years. Once it expires it drops out of the active search, and a new assessment is needed before the property can be sold or let. More on validity.
Try the MPRN instead. Spellings, townland names and apartment numbering often differ between what the assessor typed and what you are searching for.
New dwellings are assessed before occupation, but the certificate may not appear on the register until close to completion.
Non-domestic buildings sit on a separate register with their own certificate type, and some public buildings display a Display Energy Certificate instead. More on commercial BER.
Next: What the rating actually means · How long a certificate lasts · All BER guides















Yes. Searching the public register costs nothing.
No. Published BER ratings are public information. That is the whole point of having a national register.
On any electricity bill for the property. It is an eleven-digit number, usually near the top of the bill or on the reverse.
The rating reflects the property as it was on the day it was assessed. Insulation, windows or a new heating system fitted since then will not show until a new assessment is carried out and published.
Yes, if it is still valid and nothing material has changed. If you have upgraded the property since, a fresh assessment will usually give you a better rating to advertise.
If the register shows nothing, or the rating no longer reflects the work you have done, Tom, a BER assessor in Cork, can survey the property and publish an up to date certificate. Send the address and property type for a fixed quote.