YOUR ENERGY BILLS may have been blissfully low this summer, but now that the temperature’s dropping, it’s not so easy to keep costs down.
So what can you do to save money and still keep your home warm and inviting this winter?
Rather than turning the heat off entirely and loading up on layers, try using your home’s heat sources more efficiently instead – only using heat where it’s needed, figuring out how to time your heating system and considering home improvement projects to lower costs in the long run.
While most of these involve installation and consultation costs, grants may be available toward the fees for each one. Here are a few home improvement projects to consider in the coming weeks…
Unless you have a converted attic or use yours regularly for storage, it can be easy to forget that hidden upper level of your home even exists. But in terms of your heating bills, it’s a pretty important spot. A house can lose around 30 per cent of its energy through a badly insulated attic, according to the SEAI.
You have a few options for insulation – glass/mineral fiber, semi-rigid boards or multifoil – so it’s worth consulting a contractor for advice on what will work best for your attic and your budget.
If your home constantly feels ‘a little chilly’ even when the heating is up full whack, your wall insulation – or lack of it – could be to blame. There are a few different types of wall insulation to choose from: external wall insulation, cavity wall insulation or internal wall insulation.
Each of them involve fixing insulating materials like mineral wool or expandable polystyrene to the outside, centre or inside of the wall, ensuring better heat retention. Find more information here.
Flicking on the radiators or the boost switch every time someone needs hot water for a shower isn’t just inconvenient, it’s also a waste of energy and money. Taking note of how and when you use heat in your home will help you to divide your heating controls into different zones, like a ‘space heater zone’ and a ‘hot water zone’. That way, you can heat water for morning showers or the after-dinner washing up without having to heat the whole house or apartment. Find more information here.
Even in the coldest of winters, there’s no need to have the heating on when nobody’s home. Figuring out how your heating timer works – or upgrading the one you have – is essential if you’re keen to lower your heating bills. Many new timers will allow you to set your heating schedule for each day of the week, so you can have the boiler come on for hot showers at 10am on a Sunday but 7am on a Monday, for example.
As well as streamlining the timing of your heating schedule, taking control of how hot each room can get is another way to make savings. Yes, you might want the living room to be ultra-cosy in the evenings, but does the kitchen need to be the same temperature – particularly if your oven is at full blast?
Thermostatic radiator valves allow you to set a specific temperature that you’re happy with for each room, so that the heating won’t go beyond that point unless you want it to.
Yes, this one is a bigger project than the others listed here, but it’s worth it for the savings – usually around 50 or 60 per cent off your hot water bills. As well as a solar hot water system on your roof (flat panels or tubing), you’ll most likely need a dual coil hot water cylinder, which can collect heat from both the solar system and your normal heat source. Find more information here.
Want a helping hand in making your home warmer and more energy efficient? Check out the wide range of home energy grants available from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. Find out more here – and apply online right now.
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