Free energy information event in Ballyhaunis
MEMBERS of the public and local businesses are invited to attend a free information event, taking place in Ballyhaunis, which will outline how they can make energy savings.
The event will also hear about a range of grants available to assist homes, businesses or community buildings to reduce their energy and heating costs, while test drives of electric vehicles will also be provided.
The event comes as it was revealed the average house in Ballyhaunis spends €3,600 per year on home energy. Despite this significant annual expense, almost 1 in 2 homes in Ballyhaunis (49%) do not have a Building Energy Rating Certificate (BER), according to census data provided by the SEAI.
Other key energy efficiency statistics relating to households in Ballyhaunis include:
· Less than 1% of homes have a heat pump installed
· More than 9 out of 10 (96%) have substandard windows.
· Almost six out of 10 homes (58%) have poor energy controls.
· 3 out of 4 homes (74%) could improve their wall insulation.
· The majority of homes (56%) have less than optimal roof insulation in place.
· For those homes that have been certified, the average local BER rating is D2.
The event is being organised by Ballyhaunis Sustainable Energy Community (SEC) in conjunction with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and will take place in Ballyhaunis Community Hall from 12 to 2 p.m. on Saturday, January 27.
Among the speakers will be SEAI county mentor Dr. Orla Nic Suibhne, who will provide details on SEAI’s home energy retrofit grants, Lorna Dennehy of Mayo County Council who will discuss the Community Climate Action Fund, and Dr. David Connolly, CEO of Heat Grid Ireland, who will outline some opportunities to reduce carbon emissions.
They will be joined by James Donnelly of Eco Heating Ltd. who will provide information on the benefits of using heat pumps; Pat Lavin of Ecosmart will talk about the savings available through the use of insulation for homes; and David Doherty of Switch to Solar will highlight how Solar PV can cut household energy bills.
Liam Rochford of Rochford Motors will also showcase electric vehicles, with test drives available for attendees at the event.
Finally, Ballyhaunis SEC member Alma Gallagher, who is also manager with Clár ICH, will discuss the extensive grant programme provided through Clár and how that can be accessed.
Speaking in advance of the event, Ms. Gallagher said: “We have all seen how expensive it can be to heat our homes in recent times. Energy and heating bills rose considerably over the last couple of years.
“When you consider the average spend on home energy in Ballyhaunis is now €3,600 per year, you can see how this is hitting local families, individuals and businesses in the pocket.
“Thankfully there are measures that can be easily taken to help reduce energy or heating costs by making homes and buildings more energy efficient. There is also significant funding available to those who want to take these steps. That is why Ballyhaunis SEC was keen to organise this event. We wanted to provide the public with more information and to demystify the grant application process.
“Entrance to the event is free and we believe there will be something of interest to everyone who attends. So we would encourage anyone who wants to cut their costs or who is curious about how they can make their home or business more energy efficient to come along to Ballyhaunis Community Hall on Saturday, January 27. The potential savings, funding and improvements being discussed will definitely be worth their time.”
Ballyhaunis SEC is made up of representatives of community groups and concerned citizens from Ballyhaunis. It is guided by an appointed SEAI coordinator, Dr. Orla Nic Suibhne.
By hosting events like this information event, Ballyhaunis SEC hope to achieve financial and energy savings for the people of Ballyhaunis, enabling them to make their homes and buildings more comfortable and economical to run.