An increasing number of Irish homeowners are taking the decision to upgrade their homes to be more energy efficient and reaping the benefits of a healthier, more comfortable home, as well as significantly reducing energy bills and producing a lower carbon footprint.

An energy-efficient home is designed to conserve and reduce the energy required to both heat and cool your home and improve efficiency of power appliances and electronics. With energy bills soaring and generous government grants available, it has never made more sense to retrofit your home.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, half of Irish homes have a Building Energy Rating or BER of D or less, which indicates the scale of the challenge involved in the government’s target of retrofitting 500,000 homes to a B2 rating and installing 400,000 heat pumps in existing buildings by 2023.

Half a million homes equates to almost 30% of all residential buildings in Ireland and the targets represent a dramatic escalation in the scale of retrofit activity required.

Only 10% of Ireland’s housing stock has a BER rating of B2 or above and Irish homes are responsible for some 29% of all energy- related greenhouse gas emissions in the country. Retrofitting minimises these harmful emissions, which will be essential to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2030.

Homeowners who decide to upgrade their home’s energy efficiency should ideally aim for a minimum B2 rating. First and foremost, this means that a home should be properly insulated as well as airtight and it should have high-efficiency heating and cooling equipment which keep utility bills low. A programmable thermostat should be used to regulate heating and cooling and energy-inefficient appliances should be replaced with efficient alternatives.

Upgraded windows and doors, as well as highly efficient lighting and appliances, not only save a home’s energy but also increase your home’s value. Adding a renewable energy source such as solar panels will further improve your home´s BER rating and reduce energy costs and help to future proof your home against rising energy costs.

In the coming years, further legislation is likely to be introduced which will demand greater efforts to reduce emissions from domestic dwellings. These measures could include prohibiting the rent or sale of properties with a low BER rating, which is already the case in the UK.

Over the next few weeks, Homevalue experts will take you through all the considerations and issues involved in carrying out a comprehensive home energy upgrade with our weekly retrofit guide. Over the next few weeks, we explain the process involved, the various retrofit options available as well as the myriad of SEAI grants which have been introduced and how to access them. Stay tuned.

 If you cannot wait until then pick up a copy of our Homevalue Lifestyle Yearbook 2023 in your local Homevalue store!

This magazine is packed with valuable information on going solar, retrofitting, sustainable living, paint tips, energy efficientcy & loads more. You can achieve your sustainable home goals & we are here to help.

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