In addition to the more than 50 energy prices announced in the last six months, more energy price increases are expected this fall. This means it’s set to be a very expensive winter for homes, and power outages can also occur.
Consumers are already feeling the pinch of higher energy bills.
Electricity bills are about €900 higher a year than they were 18 months ago.
According to the report, gas prices will increase by about 800 euros per year on average. bonkers.ie.
And with Russia restricting the flow of gas to Europe, further price increases are expected.
St Vincent De Paul reports a 20% increase in the number of requests for help since the beginning of the year compared to last year.
The Economic and Social Research Institute has calculated that as many as 70% of households could fall into energy poverty if prices rise as recently experienced.
Here, we’ll look at ways homes can prepare for the ongoing winter energy crisis and run more sustainable homes in the process.
get a solar panel
By installing solar panels in your home, you can not only save a lot of money, but also help the environment.
According to a study conducted at University College Cork, homeowners could save €450 a year on their electricity bills by installing the panels.
Using satellite data, researchers surveyed every roof in Ireland and found that more than 1 million homes have suitable roof space and orientation for 10 solar panels.
That number of panels will cost between €7,000 and €9,000. We recommend getting a lot of quotes.
A grant of up to €2,400 is available from the Sustainable Energy Agency of Ireland (SEAI) to help cover the initial costs.
This week, Flogas said it is currently paying the highest price on the market for unused electricity generated by homeowners, businesses and farms using solar panels.
Under the new SolarGen promotion, Flogas is paying 20 cents per kWh for unused electricity.
Interest rates will be guaranteed until March next year, Flogas said.
SSE Airtricity and Pinergy will also pay for surplus electricity that flows back into the grid.
In Ireland, due to the climate, 75% of the energy generated from home solar systems occurs between May and September.
They also work on gray rainy days, but produce more on sunny days.
SEAI suggests that at least 40% of a family’s annual demand could be met by a standard system, although this will vary somewhat depending on energy usage and system size.
switch energy providers
Despite rising energy prices, switching suppliers is still costly.
Most suppliers still offer significant discounts of up to 40 percent or more per year to encourage new customers to switch.
At the moment, people paying standard electricity and gas rates and making the switch can save an average of more than €900 a year, helping to ease the pain of rising prices.
Just switching electricity saves €300 a year.
Daragh Cassidy of price comparison site bonkers.ie said:
get a stove
An economical alternative to an open fire is to install a stove and flue.
Options include gas, solid fuel and multi-fuel.
According to SEAI’s Tom Halpin, a stove radiates 60 percent of the heat into a room, compared to just 30 percent with an open fire.
Depending on the stove specifications and the length of the flue, it is usually between €3,000 and €8,000.
apply for a grant
Worryingly, the cost of doing retrofit work has skyrocketed recently.
But last February, the government announced a significant increase in subsidies available from SEAI to help homeowners upgrade their homes’ energy.
Increased available grants by up to 50pc.
For example, you can receive subsidies of up to €1,700 for cavity insulation and up to 80% for attic insulation.
There are 11 one-stop shops registered with SEAI. For more information, please visit the website seai.ie.
A one-stop shop handles the entire process of performing energy upgrades. Operators assess needs, calculate costs, schedule work, perform snags, and apply for SEAI grants.
An Post’s Green Hub in partnership with SSE Airtricity can help you identify the best stove type for your home.
Many credit unions also partner with one-stop shops to offer low-interest loans for home energy-efficient construction.
If you’re over 65 and live in poor housing conditions, you may be able to get subsidies from your local government for new windows and doors.
If you think you are eligible, please contact your local authority.
Consider ways to reduce energy consumption
Two-thirds of household energy is used for heating.
So whether you use kerosene, gas, electricity or solid fuels to heat your home, it makes sense to control your heating system.
Many people are guilty of overheating their homes in the winter.
A temperature of 20 degrees is ideal. According to SEAI, for every 1 degree higher than that, he increases his home heating costs by 10%.
On the other hand, not servicing your boiler regularly can increase your heating costs by about 5 percent.
Reduced hot water costs
Make sure the water cylinder is properly insulated. You can reduce your hot water costs by up to 30% simply by properly insulating your tanks.
According to Cassidy of bonkers.ie, a good 3-inch-thick lagging jacket pays off quickly and saves you a bundle.
Many Irish people have the misconception that turning the soak on and off consumes more energy and that it’s cheaper to keep the water hot all the time, but Cassidy says this is false.
Instead, turn on the soak only when hot water is needed. For most households, 30 minutes is sufficient.
upgrade the light bulb
LED bulbs use approximately 80-90 percent less power than standard bulbs and last up to 10 times longer.
Replacing just one light bulb can save you about €6 in electricity costs per year.
That means replacing all the light bulbs in your home can easily save you up to €60 a year, depending on how many lights you have, says Cassidy.
