Table 1.6 - NAS Guidance
| NAS issue | Guidance |
|---|---|
| BER certificates on the National Administration System |
The National Administration System (NAS) holds the BER certificate associated with the latest published version of each BER number’s assessment. In the cases where more than one rating is associated with a single BER number, only the most recent published rating’s certificate is available on NAS. The BER certificate should not be altered after it is downloaded from the NAS. Changes such as addition of the client or BER Assessor’s name should not be made to the certificate. |
| NAS Login |
In cases where an Assessor attempts to login to NAS and uses an incorrect password three times in succession, then their NAS account will become locked. The Assessor should then contact the BER Helpdesk to have the account unlocked, and, if required, the helpdesk can then assist in getting a new password. If an Assessor has lost their password, they should select the “Forgot Password?” option on the NAS login window. The Assessor is then required to enter their user name (Assessor number) and date of birth (dd/mm/yyyy format). A new password is then emailed automatically to the Assessor’s registered email address. This password is case-sensitive and can be copied and pasted into the NAS login window. Once logged in, the assessor can change to a new password if they wish to do so. In the case of any difficulties with passwords or login, assessors are advised to contact the BER Helpdesk for assistance. |
| Updating published BERs on NAS |
Ratings published on the National Administration System (NAS) are generally displayed in descending order of BER Number. In certain circumstances, such as revision of published ratings, the new certificate assumes the same BER Certificate Number and therefore is listed along with the previously uploaded rating. Depending on the dates of the published ratings and the quantity of ratings uploaded by the Assessor, the revised rating may appear further down the list or on another page. To view the latest ratings uploaded, sort the visible ratings on NAS by Date “Processed/Issued” in descending order by clicking on the “Processed/Issued” column header. To alternate between “date descending” and “date ascending”, click on the “Processed/Issued” column header again. Similarly, the Assessor can sort BER Certificates by MPRN, County, Type, etc. Always take great care in uploading revised ratings as refunds cannot be issued after accepting the “Publish Rating Confirmation” screen. |
| SEAI Substitute MPRN Facility |
The latest version RO11 form is available here: https://www.seai.ie/resources/forms/RO11 (Request for SEAI Property Reference Number) The BER Assessor should, from the outset, exhaust all avenues to obtain the relevant MPRN. The Assessor will need to confirm to the BER Helpdesk if the property has electric power and what lengths they’ve gone to obtain the MPRN. Please note the SEAI Property Reference Number is not to be used in instances where a builder/developer wants a BER certificate without registering the property with the ESB and seeking a MPRN. If the owner/vendor is a builder, or an agent acting on their behalf, they should be instructed to arrange for registration of the property for MPRN, at which stage the Assessor will be able to publish a BER rating. To prevent delays in generating the SEAI MPRN, the BER Assessor should make sure that all parts of the form have been completed in full and enclose a copy of all the relevant attachments and information. |
| Sourcing the MPRN for the BER Assessment |
The MPRN is usually straightforward to source as it is printed on the electricity bill. This bill must be requested to the client by the BER assessor. In cases where a bill cannot be made available, the Assessor should provide the meter serial number when requesting an MPRN from ESBN (ESB Networks). In addition, when contacting ESBN to request the MPRN for the property, the BER Assessor must take steps to ensure that the MPRN sourced from ESBN is correct for the specific property. Clarifications must be sought from ESBN when there is an obvious mismatch in the property address, as the address may have been changed after the meter was installed and this may result in the wrong MPRN being sourced. Written evidence (letter / e-mail) of correspondence to ESBN (ESB Networks) must be provided when applying for a substitute MPRN to the BER Helpdesk and all records must be kept on file by the BER Assessor. The BER assessor must make all reasonable efforts to obtain a copy of the electricity bill for the property if the property has an electrical utility supply, and the MPRN must be primarily sourced from the electricity bill. The MPRN is not mandatory for provisional BER assessments. If a “dummy” MPRN is used (SEAI Property Reference Number), a new BER Certificate will be required once the ESBN assigns an MPRN to the property and no refund will be awarded upon republication. There is a “shared MPRN” facility in DEAP and this should be used whenever the property has the same MPRN as another property The form RO11 referenced above must be filled in to request a “dummy” MPRN (SEAI Property Reference Number). |
| BER Assessor company number on published BER certificate on NAS differs from the printed BER certificate |
A BER certificate contains the BER Assessor number and BER Assessor Company number assigned by SEAI. The contact details for BER Assessors are available by entering the relevant BER certificate number or MPRN on https://ndber.seai.ie/pass/ber/search.aspx In some circumstances the BER Assessor may retain the same Assessor number and the Assessor company number may change e.g. when a BER Assessor is no longer registered as an Individual but is now an Employee. The BER Assessor company number displayed on this website and on the NAS reflects the current company number assigned to a BER Assessor Company. The current BER certificate and related advisory report is held and may be viewed in electronic form on the NAS and may be produced in printed form from this record. The BER Assessor can provide their clients with a copy of the BER certificate. |
| NAS MPRN utility |
A Meter Point Reference Number (MPRN) is a unique 11-digit number assigned to every single electricity connection and meter in the country. The MPRN can be found on the electricity bill for the dwelling. In the absence of electricity bills, the MPRN may be printed in the electricity meter box. Registered BER Assessors can validate the accuracy of an MPRN number using the MPRN Utility tab on NAS or in DEAP. |
| BER is rejected on NAS | A BER submission is rejected in NAS because errors have been identified by SEAI. The Assessor should review the errors, correct them, and resubmit the rating. |
| BER is classified as “repairable” on NAS |
A BER submission will be placed in the Repair Queue when the BER and/or MPRN number submitted is incompatible with a record already held on the National BER Register. Repairs can be found by clicking on the 'repairable' tab on NAS. If the Assessor can identify the error, the Assessor can discard the repair, and resubmit the rating after correcting it in DEAP and re-exporting and uploading the assessment again. If the Assessor is unable to identify an error and the numbers are correct, they can await final determination of the status of the rating by the BER Administrator. |
After a BER Assessor publishes a BER for a client, the client is entitled to access to the BER Certificate and the Advisory Report. In addition, Statutory Instrument No. 243 of 2012, details that:
A data file or other extract from a register relating to a BER assessment for a particular building shall normally only be made available to—
In other words, the client has a right to the DEAP output file capturing the parameters entered in the assessment should they wish to obtain it.
Section 10 of the BER Assessor’s Code of Practice details the obligations on BER Assessors in relation to BER data confidentiality and data protection. A BER Assessor is required to abide by the following confidentiality requirements:
In relation to determining compliance with Part L of the Building Regulations, TGD L states that “Those involved in the design and construction of a building may be required by the relevant building control authority to provide such evidence as is necessary to establish that the requirements of the Regulations are being complied with.”
Consequently, a client may direct a BER Assessor to provide information to a Building Control Authority relating to the dwelling’s energy performance and/or relating to compliance with the Building Regulations. The DHPCLG details the powers of enforcement and inspection for Building Control Authorities.