A cosy, eco-house is king - a third of homeowners crave energy efficiency
Almost a third of Irish homeowners plan to make their home more energy efficient and 89 per cent say making their home more sustainable is important to them. That’s according to a new survey by Bord Gáis Energy, a leading services and energy provider to homes and businesses.
While upgrading the energy fficiency of their home is top off the pile for many, the research shows a significant lack of knowledge about how to go about doing just that.
A fifth of those polled are not aware of the latest National Retrofitting Scheme and over a third (34%) don’t know the current BER rating of their home.
The research into the nation’s knowledge of retrofitting and home energy upgrades was carried out by Bord Gáis Energy to launch its new online series ‘Imagine a Better Way’. Hosted by Darren Kennedy, the series aims to educate homeowners on all things retrofitting and provide hints, tips, and tricks on how to make your home more energy efficient and sustainable.
Across five episodes a panel of professionals - including architect and RTE Home of the Year judge Amanda Bone, Room to Improve quantity surveyor, Claire Irwin and sustainable gardener Peter Dowdall, as well as Bord Gáis Energy’s own experts - will cover everything from BER ratings to budgeting, to smart home technology and the big one - how to get started in the first place.
Of those polled, almost one in five (19%) say they have recently completed a home energy upgrade, but over half (52%) had concerns when starting out.
Financials were cited as the top concern for those embarking on a retrofit (77%).
Other concerns include a lack of understanding of how to apply for a Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) Home Energy Upgrade Grant (27%), followed by simply not knowing what upgrades to make (24%).
Funding the work is a key concern when starting any sort of home upgrade.
Bord Gáis Energy’s survey finds that 64% say they used savings to make upgrades to their home, 36% took out a loan while just 15% availed of a government grant. ‘It’s clear from the research that a large porrtion of Irish homeowners want to make their home energy efficient,’ said architect and Home of the Year judge Amanda Bone.
‘However, knowing where to start can be a hugely daunting task; from thinking about much to budget to what upgrades to make,’ she continued. According to the Bord Gáis Energy survey, the most popular home energy upgrades homeowners have made or intend to make are insulation of walls, roof, or attic (61%).
The next issue to be tackled is an upgrade of windows and glazing, according to 50% of those polled, with 33%
believing that installation of solar panels was next in energy efficiency importance.
Almost a third of homeowners believe that installing smart technology such a smart thermostat or heating controls (30%) is important, while over a quarter (26%) favour the installation of heat pumps to bring their home up to speed.
‘The aim of this new online series from Bord Gáis Energy is to demystify the process and provide homeowners with all the relevant information on how to get started,’ says Amanda, who in the first episode which is available to watch now, speaks to Darren about what retrofitting, or home energy upgrades means and why homeowners should consider it.
‘Other episodes will cover different topics such as the basics on budgeting, smart home technology and upgrading your garden. No matter where you are in your home upgrade journey, there will be hints, tips, and tricks to help you make those big changes to your home,’ says Amanda.
The first episode of the Imagine a Better Way series is available now to watch on YouTube or at bordgaisenergy.ie.