Energy prices haven't increased in real terms since the 1970s and there's a lot more money in the Irish consumer's pocket these days. Money that people are much more likely to spend on high-energy consuming appliances than on energy saving measures.
It's generally accepted that Irish homes are energy inefficient, with average energy costs per household running at a little more than £1,000 (€1,270) a year.
The Irish Energy Centre, an EU funded initiative of the Department of Public Enterprise, is on a crusade to lower energy consumption in the State and the centre has calculated that the average domestic energy bill could be cut by up to 30 per cent if energy consuming practices were modified. Collectively Irish households could save more than £50 million in energy costs by implementing a number of simple measures.
That's all very well but nobody wants to start imposing an unpopular regime of austerity on his or her family, which might smack of the bad old shivery days before central heating.
The good news is that Mr Tom Halpin of the Irish Energy Centre claims that significant savings can be made without suffering at all. Mr Halpin explains that adopting energy-saving practices will only increase the "comfort zone" in the home.
"Some improvements involve an initial expense but the pay back time is relatively short and many changes that can be tackled are behavioural." And it's the little things that matter as much as the big things.
For instance, a television on stand-by consumes half as much electricity as it does when it is on. It's a question of un-learning a host of bad habits.
It can be daunting to look around the house and, overwhelmed by energy crimes, give up because you don't know where to begin. As part of Energy Awareness Week - September 19th-25th - the Irish Energy Centre will be promoting a list of recommended tips for the householder to follow. There's also a hotline 1850-376-666 to call for copies of leaflets or advice on specific queries.
The first and most obvious place to begin is lighting. Since Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs) appeared on the market there has been a modest take up, but the changeover has been half-hearted. There is now a much broader range of CFLs available in formats suitable for all parts of the house. They cost £6£10 each but last 10 times longer than regular bulbs and use a fraction of the electricity. The replacement cost will be saved in 12 to 15 months.
After lighting, the next low-cost energy-saving must is the lagging jacket. A lagging jacket will set you back £10 but will pay for itself in two to three months. And it's important to remember that lagging jackets don't last forever. They need to be replaced every few years and not be left to disintegrate on the job.
Draught proofing is crucial to the maintenance of a comfortable temperature in the house. In many homes draughts considerably decrease the habitable space. Draught proofing pays for itself in one to two years. Watch out for big offenders like the letterbox, hall door or back door and the attic hatch.
Another medium cost project with great benefits is attic insulation. The attic space should be insulated to a depth of 200mm or more and it's worth checking what condition the old insulation is in. It may be that it's not deep enough or no longer effective. An average size attic will cost £200 to £300 to insulate and the money will be recouped through reduced bills in two to three years. But the immediate effect will be increased comfort in the home, as the temperature won't fluctuate to the same extent.
Finally, it comes down to common sense but it cannot be taken for granted - the proper operation and maintenance of the heating system. "There should be no need for people to be opening windows to cool down because the heating is up way too high. The system should be properly controlled and in good working order in the first place". Mismanagement of the heating system, even if it only pushes the temperature up one or two degrees, will result in 1020 per cent higher heating bills. And if the financial incentive doesn't do it for you, there is always the environmental benefit. Irish homes produce 30 per cent of the carbon dioxide expelled into the atmosphere across the State through their energy consumption.
Mr John Goulding, assistant director of the Energy Research Project in UCD, points out that not even new houses are in the clear. "The building regulations have improved a lot in recent years but there's still some way to go. In terms of straightforward economic payback some things that can be done are low cost or no cost at all but it shouldn't be looked at as a simple business equation. It's where you have to live, so comfort and amenity value are just as important."
Relevant websites: www.irishenergy.ie and http://erg.ucd.ie, click on download.
