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Irish weather can be unpredictable at any time but most especially from Autumn through to Spring. From freezing one minute, to warm the next, sun splitting to stones, to torrential downpours. The one thing you can count on is changeability. Making sure your home is working at its most efficient when it comes to comfort and electricity usage is vital. That’s why there’s never a bad time to give your pad a thorough home energy audit.  

Don’t forget your hat

You might not go out on a cold day without your hat to keep you warm, but did you know you can apply this same logic to your home? In fact, the average home can lose up to 30% of its heat through poorly insulated walls and roofs, as well as 10% through windows, doors and floors. Apart from considering some serious loft insulation, have a quick wander round your place and see if you can spot any dodgy draughts. The usual suspects include:  

• Dog doors / cat flaps  

• Window seals  

• Letterbox  

• Wonky doors  

• Bathroom vents  

If you do find a draught, there are some low-cost options to block them:

• DIY draught excluders (a rolled newspaper wrapped in a towel at a pinch)  

• DIY sealant kit (tin foil and newspaper can also work)  

• Sealant tape  

Better insulation and fewer leaky draughts mean less electricity is wasted trying to keep your home warm. Insulating your home can seem like it costs a packet, but there are grants available to help cut the outlay. You can find out more about grants from SEAI for making your home more efficient here. 

Hard habits to break 

On your Energy Audit, also consider adopting the following smart habits: 

• Regularly bleed your radiators, and pull your furniture away from them to let heat escape into the room.
  
• Let the sun shine in, and then trap it by closing the curtains when it sets. 
• Rugs help keep toes warm .
• Create a curtain closing rota when the sun goes down to trap heat in your home.
• A shelf above a radiator helps direct the heat into the room rather than upwards. 

If you found this information helpful and would like to learn more ways to take control of your home's electricity usage, why not sign up to our 'Is This a Good Time?' programme today at esbnetworks.ie/time.