With energy prices remaining high and likely to rise further, now is the ideal time to ensure your home is properly insulated to retain valuable heat and reduce energy bills.
Irish homes are losing heat
Did you know?
- Over 70% of Irish homes are either uninsulated or inadequately insulated
- Up to 35% of heat can be lost through uninsulated walls
- Up to 40% of heat can be lost through uninsulated attics
- Proper insulation improves both comfort levels and energy efficiency
- Current building regulations require 300mm (12 inches) of attic insulation
- Over 100,000 Irish homes had insulation upgrades last year
- Insulation is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve your BER rating
- Insulation is also one of the easiest ways to increase your property value
- All homes built before 2006 are likely to require insulation upgrades
- The payback period for cavity wall and attic insulation can be as little as three years
Older Properties
In the late 1970s and early 80s, polystyrene board insulation became mandatory to meet building regulations, but the required thickness was only 25mm (1 inch). This was increased to 40mm in the mid-80s, and again to 75mm in the 90s. Today’s standards require a minimum of 100mm insulation in walls, and 300mm in attics. To fully meet these requirements, the entire cavity in most walls (now typically 150mm wide) must be filled using high-performance insulation materials such as bonded bead systems.
Newer Homes
Homes built between 1982 and 2004 often have some insulation, but typically fall short of current energy efficiency standards. Many suffer from poor thermal performance due to insufficient material or substandard installation (e.g. gaps, poorly fitted boards). These homes can see a significant improvement in energy efficiency and comfort with additional cavity wall and attic insulation, installed to modern standards.