Our Green Tips section is a regularly updated resource intended to help you make your home more energy efficient. If you have any questions about the content contained within feel free to contact us and we’d be happy to help in whatever way we can.

Self Assessment Checklist

The standards of insulation and level of energy efficiency required by our Building Regulations are being continuously improved. The intention is that every new home will, to the greatest extent possible, actively minimise its Carbon burden. Where a homeowner is improving the energy efficiency of an existing home, regulations ensure project viability, sustainability and accountability.

If your home was built over 7 years ago and has had little or no improvement work, then it is likely that there is a large gap between the performance of your home and the performance level being targeted by government regulation. You can do a quick check on your homes energy performance by answering the simple questions below. These questions will act as a rough guide in evaluating what home energy improvements you could make under the Home Energy Savings scheme and the grants provided therein.

Key

less than €40
€40-200
€200+

Payback Period

less than 6 Months
less than 1 year
less than 3 years
less than 5 years the end of the year, see whether you have reached or surpassed your targets.

Monitoring and Targeting

Set targets for your energy consumption and costs for the coming year.For example, if your energy rating is currently 287 kWh per m2 per year, set yourself a target of 250 kWh per m2 per year, next year. A similar target could also be set for the cost rating. Once a particular project has been completed the information from your energy bills will highlight your success. Compare the energy used and related cost of the present period to the same period last year to see if there has been a significant reduction. At the end of the year, see whether you have reached or surpassed your targets.