Take control of your energy use this winter with the SEAI Home Energy Plan

SEAI is encouraging people to sign up to their Home Energy Plan to help reduce the impact of rising energy costs on their household budget

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has today launched its Home Energy Plan as part of the Reduce Your Use campaign. It provides practical advice to help us reduce our energy bills this winter and will give us a roadmap of big-impact actions we can take at no or low cost. 

  • SEAI is encouraging people to sign up to their Home Energy Plan to help reduce the impact of rising energy costs on their household budget
  • The Home Energy Plan focuses on big-impact actions people can take at no or low cost that will help reduce their energy bills
  • The Home Energy Plan looks at three separate areas of energy use: heating, electricity and transport

Every day, from the moment we get up, we are using energy. From taking a shower, to making breakfast and traveling to work or school. By reducing the amount of energy used in the home, we can permanently reduce the impact of rising energy costs on our household budget which will help both our pockets and reduce our climate impact. The Home Energy Plan will focus on three key areas where people use the most energy - home heating, electricity and transport.

SEAI have ambassadors Melanie Murphy (@melaniiemurphy), Catherine Carton (@daintydressdiaries) and Caroline Foran (@carolineforan) taking part in the plan and you can follow their progress on their Instagram channels. The Home Energy Plan will start from Wednesday, 9th November and will run for three weeks so sign up now at www.seai.ie/homeenergyplan.

Commenting on the campaign, Tom Halpin, Head of Communications in SEAI said:

"We can all see how the ongoing conflict in Ukraine is affecting energy prices across Europe. It's no different in Ireland. The Home Energy Plan will help inform people about their energy use and share advice on how they can reduce their use. In the wider context of rising energy bills and the urgency of climate action, people are actively looking for ways to make an impact. Much of our energy use is habitual and behavioural changes can make a huge difference."

As we enter the heating season, SEAI will first focus on how to reduce heating costs, which on average makes up 60% of a household's energy bills.

  • You can reduce your heating bill by 10% by simply lowering the thermostat by just one degree. Turn the thermostat for your living areas down to 19°C. The temperature in hallways and bedrooms should be cooler, ideally between 15-18°C.
  • Once you've adjusted the thermostat use timers to control when you heat your home. Set it to have your heating on at set times when you are at home and off when you are out.
  • Use the control on your immersion heater to heat only your water when required. By using heating controls, you can save on your water heating bill.

Sign up for the Home Energy Plan today to reduce your use and save money this winter: www.seai.ie/homeenergyplan. Stay updated by searching the hashtags #SEAIEnergyPlan #ReduceYourUse.

If you are looking to take the next step, a good place to start is with SEAI's individual grants for insulation. A poorly insulated home will lose up to 30% of its heat through attic spaces and walls, so tackling this has the immediate benefit of reduced energy bills because your heating won't be running as long. There are a range of other grants available to undertake home energy upgrades for warmer, healthier and more comfortable homes with lower energy bills. For further information about SEAI Home Energy Upgrade grants visit here.