Save Energy - Save Money


Want to reduce your energy bills and make your house more comfortable? Make sure your house is well insulated .

Ensuring that your house is well insulated  is the most effective of way of saving Energy at home.
As well as saving  up  to 40% of the heat , there are other benefits to the householder:
1. A decrease in the cost of fuel or electricity bills
2. An improvement in  the comfort of the house
3. An improvement to the acoustics in the house
4. A lower likelihood of condensation problems

 

What should I do?



What materials are available?


 Rolls and batts—or blankets—are flexible products made from mineral fibres, such as fiberglass and rock wool. They are available in widths suited to standard spacing’s of wall studs and attic or floor joists: Typically 300mm (12”) of mineral wool fibre provides the required building regulation U- Value for all new and existing homes.
 Loose-fill insulation—usually made of fiberglass, rock wool, or cellulose in the form of loose fibre’s or fibre pellets,
it should be blown into spaces using special pneumatic equipment. The blown-in material conforms readily to building cavities and attics. Therefore, loose-fill insulation is well suited for places where it is difficult to install other types of insulation.
 Rigid foam insulation—foam insulation typically is more expensive than fibre insulation. But it's very effective in buildings with space limitations and where lowerU-values are needed. Foam insulation U-valuesif used require 150mm (6”) in your roof.which is up to 2 times greater than most other insulating materials of the same thickness.
 Foam-in-place insulation—this type can be blown into walls and reduces air leakage, if blown into cracks, such as around window and door frames
.

Are there any grants available for retrofitting my home?

Yes currently the government is offering grants as part of the Home Energy Saving scheme. This scheme is administered by SEI (Sustainable Energy Ireland). Full details of the scheme are available on their website www.sei.ie or by phone on 1850 927000


Tips for New Builds
For new homes in most climates, you will save money and energy if you install a combination of cavity insulation and Insulated plasterboard slabs. Cavity insulation can be installed at levels up 100mm/4 in. wall and up 150mm / 6 in. wall. The insulated plasterboard slabs, used in addition to this cavity insulation, helps to reduce the energy that would otherwise be lost through the wall.
Today, new products are on the market that provide both insulation and structural support and should be considered for new home construction or additions. Structural insulated panels, known as SIPs, and masonry products like insulating concrete forms are among these. Some homebuilders are even using an old technique borrowed   from the pioneers: building walls using straw bales.

For further information contact the Tipperary Energy Agencey on 052 7443090 or log on to www.tea.ie.

 Check the insulation in your attic, ceilings, exterior and basement walls, floors, and crawl spaces to see if it meets the levels recommended for your area. Insulation is measured in U-values—the lower the U-value, the better your walls and roof will resist the transfer of heat. The Department of Environment  recommends ranges of U-values based on the current Building Regulations Part L 2008.
• Consider factors such as your climate, building design, and budget when selecting insulation U-values for your home.
• Use higher density insulation on exterior walls, such as rigid foam boards, in ceilings and on exterior walls.
• Ventilation helps with moisture control and reducing summer cooling bills. Attic vents can be installed along the entire ceiling cavity to help ensure proper airflow from the soffit to the attic to make a home more comfortable and energy efficient. Do not ventilate your attic if you have insulation on the underside of the roof. Check with a qualified contractor.
• Recessed light fixtures can be a major source of heat loss, but you need to be careful how close you place insulation next to a fixture. If one places a simple terracotta pot (flower pot) over the recessed light fitting and then insulates over that your heat from the light is not lost and the risk of a fire is reduced.
• As specified on the product packaging, follow the product instructions on installation and wear the proper protective gear when installing insulation.
• One of the most cost-effective ways to make your home more comfortable year-round is to add insulation to your attic. Adding insulation to the attic is relatively easy and very cost effective. To find out if you have enough attic insulation, measure the thickness of the insulation. If it is less than 300mm (12 inches of fibre glass or rock wool or 200mm/8 inches of cellulose), you could probably benefit by adding more. Don't forget the attic trap or access door.
• If your attic has enough insulation and your home still feels drafts and cold in the winter or too warm in the summer, chances are you need to add insulation to the exterior walls as well. This is a more expensive measure that usually requires a contractor, but it may be worth the cost.
• You may also need to add insulation to your crawl space or basement. Check with a professional contractor.