Where does YOUR energy go?

We all like to decorate our Christmas trees and the exterior of the house with hundreds of those little twinkling lights and you don’t have to stop doing that to go green. However, you do need to replace those traditional Christmas lights from years past with the newest kid on the block – LED (light emitting diode) Christmas lights.

They use up to 90% less energy than traditional incandescent Christmas lights so they will save you money during the Christmas season, especially if you like to use a lot of lighting. Beyond the decrease in energy usage, these LED lights produce very little heat which significantly reduces the risk of fire and they last about 10 times longer than traditional lights.

You Choose!

LEDS’s or Traditional Christmas Lights?

Here are some Green Christmas tips that’ll help you to save money, reduce your Christmas carbon footprint and won’t cost the Earth!

Wishing everyone a very happy and safe Christmas!

Where does YOUR energy go?

A simple low cost way to save energy on domestic hot water is to make sure your hot water cylinder is properly lagged. A lagging jacket fitted on your hot water cylinder will keep water hotter for longer and pay for itself in 2-3 months. If replacing the hot water cylinder, a cylinder with factory applied insulation should be considered. Such insulation is more effective at retaining heat than a lagging jacket, is less easily damaged and cannot be pulled out of place.

You Choose!

A simple low cost way to save energy

Don’t forget the pipes. By slipping pipe insulation around your exposed hot water pipes you’ll keep your hot water hotter for longer. Fitting insulation to pipes is easy if the pipes are accessible. Pipe insulation are foam tubes that cover the exposed pipes between your hot water cylinder and boiler, reducing the amount of heat lost and therefore keeping your water hotter for longer. It’s usually as simple as choosing the right size from your local DIY store and then slipping it around the pipes.

Where does YOUR energy go?

Many homes in Ireland still use an open fire-place. An open fire-place is hugely inefficient as the heated air within the room is sucked up the chimney and the burn rate of the fuel is difficult to control. Therefore much of the fuel and cost is wasted. Installing a solid fuel or preferably a log burning stove is a simple, quick and cheap way to reduce your heating bills and energy consumption.

You Choose!

Open Fire or Stove?

Typically, more than 70% of the heat from an open fire goes up the chimney, while a stove retains as much as 76% of heat in the room, saving both fuel and money. Replacing an open fire with an efficient stove can reduce the household energy consumption by 8 to 10%. Given that we spend around €2,000 on heat, light and hot water, that could see a person’s fuel bill fall by €200 a year.

With the long, dark chilly evenings slowly creeping in it’s tempting to crank up the thermostat and lounge around in the heat without a care in the world. Stop, think before you do. With a few simple tricks and minor adjustments you can drive your energy costs down and the good news is, lowering them doesn’t require spending money. There are simple ways in which you can enjoy the warmth and save energy in the long run.

Keep warm and save energy!

Turn down your thermostat!

Make better use of the timers on your immersion or boiler so you can control when the heating comes on and goes off. This means you have heating and hot water when and where you want it. By understanding the controls you can always wake up and come home to a warm house without leaving the heating on 24/7. So, remember when setting the controls it will take a while for the house to heat up when you turn it on and to cool down when you turn it off.

Ideally set the heating to come on 20 minutes before getting up and to go off 15 minutes before you leave the house. If you’re out and about all day remember to set it to come on 20 minutes before you return home. This will be enough to take the chill out of the air and ensure a comfortable warm home. If on the other hand you’re going to be busy preparing meals, catching up on housework etc. when you arrive home well then there is  no need to have the heating coming on before returning because you will be warm enough while rushing about. Turn off 20 minutes after you go to bed. There is no need to have the heating on while you sleep.

Keep your doors closed!

Close room doors to separate heated from unheated areas of your home, and minimise the area you are heating. If your home is anything like mine you’ll spend your evening closing doors behind everyone! There is no need to spend money heating rooms that are not being used.

Close your curtains at night – open during the day to let the sunshine in!

Much of the heat loss from a house occurs through the windows, particularly if they are single glazed. So keep your curtains closed at night, even in empty rooms and also ensure that the curtains don’t hang over the radiators as that will just funnel all your heat out the window. If the radiator is mounted below a window, a projecting window-board or shelf above the radiator will direct warm air into the room, reducing heat loss through the window. Remember to open them during the day to let the warm sunshine in.

Check for draughts!

Check the house for draughts. Light a candle or incense and hold it up to doors and window frames.  If the candle flame flickers or the smoke of the incense flows towards the window, there is a draft there. Seal up the leaks.

Look for places where you have pipes, vents or electrical conduits that go through the wall, ceiling or floor. Check the bathroom, underneath the kitchen sink, pipes inside a closet, etc. If you find a gap at the point where the pipe or vents goes through the wall, seal it up. For a no cost way to seal you can try using scrunched up old newspapers, old towels etc.

Use a draught excluder to stop cold air from seeping under the doors and into the house. Be creative and make your own by using old sheets, towels and all those odd socks that you keep holding on to in the hope that eventually you find a pair (it’s never going to happen!)

Wear a jumper!

And now for some old fashioned advice…… turn down the heat and put on a sweater 🙂 Mums are always right!

Free Energy Efficient improvements available

Free Energy Efficient  improvements available.

The Better Energy Warmer Homes scheme administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, funds energy efficiency improvements in the homes of the elderly and vulnerable, making the homes more comfortable, healthier and more cost effective to run.

The scheme is available to non-Local Authority owner occupied homes constructed before 2006. The owner of the property has also to be in receipt of one of the following:

• Fuel Allowance as part of the National Fuel Scheme
• Job Seekers allowance for over six months and with children under 7 years of age
• Family income support

The service involves the installation of standard energy efficiency measures appropriate to the eligible household subject to SEAI survey, budget allocation and available capacity. The service is provided at no cost to the household and the measures currently available under this scheme are:

• Attic insulation.
• Draught proofing.
• Lagging jackets.
• Low energy light bulbs.
• Cavity wall insulation.
• Energy advice.

Landlords can avail of grants from Better Energy Homes if they have tenants in, or at risk of, energy poverty.

What advice would you give to keep warm and save energy?

Photo Credits: Photopin and Wexford Local Development.

Much of the heat loss from a house occurs through the windows, particularly if they are single glazed. So keep your curtains closed at night, even in empty rooms and also ensure that the curtains don’t hang over the radiators as that will just funnel all your heat out the window. – See more at: http://www.seai.ie/Power_of_One/Energy_Saving/Top_Tips/#sthash.0tOFTMHK.dpuf

Close room doors to separate heated from unheated areas of your home, and minimise the area you are heating. There is no need to spend money heating rooms nobody is in. – See more at: http://www.seai.ie/Power_of_One/Energy_Saving/Top_Tips/#sthash.0tOFTMHK.dpuf

Today marked the significant milestone of 250,000 homes upgraded in Ireland through the highly successful Better Energy Homes schemes. Free home energy upgrades have been completed in 100,000 homes through Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme. A further 150,000 homeowners have availed of the popular Better Energy Homes grants for insulation and heating upgrades. These homeowners  have already made energy savings of €150m over the past few years, and will continue to save €60m annually.

Funds for the ‘Better Energy Homes’ Schemes will continue to be available throughout 2014.  A separate programme of retrofit investment in the Local Authority housing stock has also recently commenced and a new fund has also been created this year to boost activity in terms of public and commercial building energy efficiency initiatives.

Improve the Energy Efficiency of your home with Cavity Wall Insulation

The Better Energy Warmer Homes scheme (BEWH), administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, funds energy efficiency improvements in the homes of the elderly and vulnerable, making the homes more comfortable, healthier and more cost effective to run. The Better Energy Warmer Homes services are provided by a panel of SEAI appointed non-profit community based organisations (CBO’s) and a panel of SEAI appointed private contractors. The Installers are assigned to a household depending on their geographic location. CBO’s and contractors deliver the BEWH to the highest quality assurance standards. Inspections are carried out on a sample of homes completed to ensure the standards are maintained.

The scheme is available to non-Local Authority owner occupied homes constructed before 2006. The owner of the property has also to be in receipt of one of the following:

• Fuel Allowance as part of the National Fuel Scheme
• Job Seekers allowance for over six months and with children under 7 years of age
• Family income support

The service involves the installation of standard energy efficiency measures appropriate to the eligible household subject to SEAI survey, budget allocation and available capacity. The service is provided at no cost to the household and the measures currently available under this scheme are:

• Attic insulation.
• Draught proofing.
• Lagging jackets.
• Low energy light bulbs.
• Cavity wall insulation.
• Energy advice.

Improve the Energy Efficiency of your home with  Attic Insulation

Landlords can avail of grants from Better Energy Homes if they have tenants in, or at risk of, energy poverty.

The Better Energy Homes scheme provides assistance to homeowners to reduce energy use, costs and greenhouse gas emissions and improve the comfort levels within their home. It is a national scheme therefore all homeowners of dwelling built before 2006 may apply. Landlords and owners of multiple properties may also apply, however they must submit a separate application form for each property.  Grants are available for eligible applicants for under taking the following upgrades.