SEAI’s Top Ten Tips For Winter

Even if the weather is fluctuating between frosty nights and unseasonably mild days, winter has officially arrived and your heating is going to be more in demand in the coming months.

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has some advice to help you save money while keeping your home warm and cosy this winter. Tom Halpin, Head of Communications with SEAI, said: “Our home heating typically accounts for about two thirds of our energy bills. SEAI has some top tips to keep you warm this winter.”

1. 20 degrees is an ideal temperature for the living areas in a home. If you lower your thermostat by just 1ºC, it could knock as much as 10% off your heating bill. That would save around €150 in a typical family home. Higher temperatures may be needed for young children or the old or infirmed.

2. Adopt the 30 minute rule. In the morning, set your heating to come on 30 minutes before you wake up and go off 30 minutes before you leave for work. In the evening set it to come on for 30 minutes before you are due home and off 30 minutes before bedtime. 3. Have your boiler serviced annually to ensure safe, troublefree and efficient operation. It could save you a further €150.

4. They may look beautiful and add to the festive feeling but open fires are wasteful of energy with more than 75% of the energy going up the chimney!

5. If only one room needs heating, such as a home office use a space or portable heater instead of the central heating. For free standing heaters, preferably choose ones with thermostat controls and timers.

6. Don’t overheat unused rooms. If they are going to be unoccupied for longer periods then even a small level of trickle heating will reduce the risk of condensation in those rooms.

7. If you are leaving the house unoccupied for an extended period (say, over Christmas) then set the timer and thermostat to allow for a low level of heating each day to help reduce the risk of frost damage.

8. Much of the heat loss from a house occurs through the windows particularly if they are single-glazed. Keep curtains closed at night and ensure that the curtains don’t hang over the top of the radiators.

9. Insulate your attic and walls. This could save you 30-40% on your home heating bill. Grants for wall and roof insulation as well as home heating upgrades, are available from SEAI with quick online approval available, visit www.seai.ie/betterenergyhomes.

10.Consider installing remote heating controls which allow you to turn on and off your heating from your phone, tablet or computer. These are really useful if you work irregular hours.

For more energy saving tips, visitwww.seai.ie