Tipperary BER Assessor top energy saving tips
More Energy Efficient Tipperary Homes
We asked our Tipperary BER Assessor for his top tips for improving your BER. His advice will help you keep your home cosy and comfortable throughout the year.
Our Tipperary BER assessor agreed that any BER rating improvement will be sure to reduce your electricity bills and potentially even increase your property’s market value!
Follow any of these 5 top tips to enjoy a more energy-efficient dwelling because even small changes can make a big difference on your BER.
Tipperary BER Assessor Tip 1
- Fit energy-efficient lighting
The easiest and cheapest way to improve your home’s energy rating is to change your light bulbs. Replacing old incandescent light bulbs with new efficient LED bulbs is the quickest way to reduce home electricity costs.
If your property is like most Tipperary homes, you probably have some 10 to 40 bulbs. Swapping 60-watt bulbs for “A” rated energy-saving LED or CFLs could work out to more than a €200 saving on your energy bills each year.
Tipperary BER Assessor Tip 2
- Replace or seal old windows
Much of the heat lost in your home escapes through cracks in doors or windows, it’s very important that you seal them properly to ensure as few drafts as possible. There are lots of ways to seal a window, but the easiest thing to do is to place draft-stripping in the frame openings.
These seals are typically made of rubber or foam. They will help to achieve a draft proof seal. If you’ve only single glazed windows, they are likely to lose a great deal of warmth during the winter months, so you could consider replacing them with new double glazed windows.
Double glazed windows have a gap that insulates from the cold in winter and stops your room overheating in summer. Remember that uPVC or wood frames are better than aluminium because they conduct less heat.
Tipperary BER assessor tip 3
- Swap your open fire for a stove
You love your fireplace we know but it will create drafts when it’s not being used. A simple solution is to install a chimney balloon to block off the fireplace when you’re not using it and prevent the cold from entering and your heat from escaping. This won’t improve the BER as you can remove it in winter and reinstall it next year.
If you want to make a big improvement sat the Tipperary BER assessor consider swapping the open fire for a stove or insert boiler. You wont lose the open fire effect but you will gain on efficiency by up to 300% and your BER will rocket.
Tipperary BER assessor Tip 4
- Upgrade your Boiler
If your boiler is more than 12 years old, you should replace it with a more efficient modern model. Newer boilers are up to 95% efficient. Natural gas boilers are cheaper than oil but not an option outside of the city although there are LPG options for rural dwellings. Biomass boilers are a popular option in some situations.
The most efficient heating and increasingly popular is heat pump technology and low-temperature underfloor heating systems. The Tipperary BER assessor also recommended that home owners install an intelligent heating control system, which gives you greater heating control so you will save even more money.
Tipperary BER Assessor tip 5
- Home insulation improvements
Improving a property’s insulation will defiantly reduce your heating and energy expenditure. Wrapping your home’s exterior with an external insulation board is one efficient option when it comes to increasing U-values and minimizing heat transfer via the walls of your home.
If you can’t insulate the outside of your Tipperary home, you can add thermally insulated plasterboard to the internal walls. This is possibly a more expensive solution but an effective one. There is also the option of pumped cavity wall bead insulation if your walls are suitable. This is a very cost effective solution.
What is essential advises the Tipperary BER assessor is to insulate your attic and roof spaces by installing layers of thermal loft insulation. Because heat rises much of a home’s heatloss is through the roof.
Book your BER assessment
For best results why not book Limerick Energy Rating’s Tipperary BER assessor to come and survey your home.
Our skilled professional assessor will determine the amount of energy required for your heating, ventilation, lighting and hot water in your home. He will produce a BER cert and an advisory report which will include recommendations to improve the energy efficiency of your dwelling.
The ESB bill for a 100 square meter home with an “A” BER rating is estimated to be just €380 per year, while a property of identical size with a “G” BER rating will acquire a bill of up to €4,000, according to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. So, it’s definitely worth taking a look at the various SEAI grants and starting the task to make your home more energy efficient.
The Golden Vale and South Tipperary
Our Tipperary BER assessor is based just outside Pallasgreen and works throughout the Golden Vale area covering much of Tipperary including: Tipperary town, Cashel, Cahir and Thurles.
Call us for a quote on 0879444010 or enquire online below or via our contact page