The Government is posting a new information booklet with tips to reduce energy use and costs while staying warm and well this winter to every home in Ireland.
It identifies which appliances use the most energy in your home, with a breakdown of cost by use or hour, compiled by Queen’s University energy expert Professor Aoife Foley and her research team.
The booklet from the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications and Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland also highlights the support and services available to citizens suffering as a result of rising energy costs.
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Professor Foley said: “Based on our figures, a family of four could be spending as much as €25 per day on electricity, gas and home heating.
“Over a standard winter monthly billing period, this could exceed a cost of €700.
“This cost is for everyday home activities such as electric showers, using your dishwasher, washing machine and tumble dryer, boiling your kettle and cooking dinner. However, the biggest cost on a daily basis is having central heating on for 5 hours, which accounts for 46% of that daily cost, at approximately €11.40.
“Turning your heating thermostat to about 19°C, setting the hot water thermostat to about 60°C, servicing your boiler, checking that no air is trapped in your radiators, and using the correct time or volume setting to heat the water you need means you can save a few hundred euros a year for the average household in Ireland.
“By highlighting the energy cost of certain appliances in the home, in tandem with advice on how to reduce energy consumption, we are empowering people to make informed decisions on how they can reduce their use where it is safe and possible to do so, while also keeping more money in their pocket. But staying warm and well this winter must be the priority for everyone.”
Practical tips include turning the thermostat down to 19 degrees, which could reduce heating costs by 10%; turning radiators off in unused rooms and advice on which appliances use the most energy.
SEAI is Ireland’s national sustainable energy authority and a leading partner of the Reduce Your Use/Stay Warm and Well campaign.
Its communications head, Tom Halpin, said: “We are working with households right across the country to help everyone reduce their energy use, now and for good. This starts with advising householders and businesses how to reduce their energy bills through changing habits, better practice and guidance on heating and electricity.
“We are also delighted to see the huge interest in our government-funded grants for home energy upgrades, helping homeowners to improve the comfort of their homes while reducing their energy bills and harmful CO2 emissions. These schemes provide options and solutions for all budgets and all levels of ambition.”
Other partners include MABS, the state-funded Money Advice and Budgeting Service, which is urging people worried about energy bills to reach out and ALONE, which is advising older people to contact them for help.
Tom says SEAI have seen “a substantial increase in applications” this year for help to improve home energy efficiency, solar panels or heat pumps.
“I suspect the price of energy is one of the factors but it’s not possible to say specifically that motivates any one individual more than another,” he added.
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