Home is somewhere that we want to feel safe and warm. That often means heating your house for many months of the year. At Enviroleak, we know just how expensive heating oil can be. A cost that is brought home to us as we clean up after accidental spills and leaks. There are many easy and simple ways to make our homes more energy efficient, to save money and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time. Often there are grants available to assist with this too.
A third of all heat is lost through the roof and the walls of the house and while most houses in Ireland have some form of insulation, it may need to be upgraded or improved. Walls may be solid and need to be insulated from the inside or outside, or they may be cavity and have a gap that can be pumped with insulation. The attic or loft can lose a quarter of all your heat if it is not sufficiently insulated. The good news is that Ireland offers grants for improving the efficiency of your home, including the addition of insulation for houses built before 2006. Check here for the criteria home energy grants and remember not to start work until you have grant approval before you buy materials or start any grant-funded work. If you have already started work, you will not be eligible for a grant. Once approved, you have 6 months to get the works done and claim the grant, using an approved contractor
Solar photovoltaic panels generate renewable electricity by converting the sun's energy into electricity. I know we don’t see that much sun in Ireland, but they can be quite efficient even on dull days. Solar panels can heat the water and therefore cut electricity bills. The There are many options available, depending on where they'll be situated, from panels that can be fitted on a sloping south-facing or flat roof, to ground-standing panels or solar tiles. A grant is available for solar water heating panels, of up to €1200.
No one like to sit in a nasty draught. Draught proofing your windows and doors can save on energy loss. Get PVC windows and doors serviced regularly. Block up any unwanted gaps that let cool air in and the lovely warm air out. Use common sense as the house does need ventilation too, so extractor fans, wall vents and trickle vents allow small amounts of fresh air into rooms and don’t need to be covered up, but accidental gaps can be part of an easy DIY fix.
You can save up to 20% of your home heating bills by upgrading your heating controls to a smarter, more efficient system. A timed heater which can select zoned heating will be a gamechanger in making the house more comfortable and in saving you money. Again, there are grants available for both homeowners and for landlords. At a minimum, your heating systems should be split into two independently controlled zones. These are your ‘Space Heating Zone’ and your ‘Domestic Hot Water Zone’. This allows you to heat your domestic hot water without being forced to turn on your space heating. It will also allow you to use your boiler to heat your hot water in the summertime, without using the immersion. Additional zones can also be put in place in large homes to split upstairs and downstairs or living areas and bedrooms. A new control system could revolutionise your home heating habits.
Over time boilers lose efficiency and may need a little TLC from a suitable contractor. Have your boiler serviced annually and change the boiler if you are advised or feel that it is no longer efficiently warming the home.
At Enviroleak we have a proven track record in looking after the environment in our own field of expertise with a detailed VOC analysis and a green ethos in our approach to the sustainability of the world. If we can all make some simple and cost-effective changes to our living spaces, it’s a win-win for the planet and for us. A greener home means a greener world and a brighter future for us all.
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