Sometimes you can hear a phrase so often that it loses its meaning. “Net zero” is one. It’s so commonly used that it’s easy to forget what it’s all about.
Put simply, net-zero emissions, to give it its full name, is about balancing the amount of greenhouse gases we produce with the amount we remove from the atmosphere.
We all need to hit that balance to stave off worsening climate change. Electrification is the biggest tool we have to help. That’s because it allows for the replacement of fossil fuels with clean electricity, generated from renewable sources such as wind and solar.
By electrifying our home heating and transport, for example, we significantly reduce our reliance on carbon-polluting fossil fuels, paving the way to a more sustainable future.
While the work at scale required to avert climate change can feel overwhelming, the good news is that Electric Ireland has a suite of products available to help each of us progress our net-zero journey.
“Enabling and empowering our customers to get to net-zero through the products and propositions we offer is a huge part of our strategic remit,” says Áine Dorran, net-zero products manager at Electric Ireland.
“It’s about changing the energy we use for how we heat our homes, our transport, to make sure our everyday lives are powered by electricity. At the same time, by going electric, we can save money and make our home more comfortable as well.”
The first step for anybody moving to an “electric lifestyle” is to make the most of the smart meters, which have now been rolled out nationwide.
“Nearly everyone has a smart electricity meter at home now, so we would advise people to go on a smart plan so that you can see and understand your energy usage,” says Dorran.
In line with the old maxim that you can’t manage what you can’t measure, smart meters and smart meter plans allow you to use and monitor electricity usage more efficiently.
“An Electric Ireland smart plan can give you personalised electricity insights and tips about how you are using electricity now and how you could use it better,” she says.
It helps you to see which appliances use the most energy and at what times of the day. This data can then be used to suggest “time of use” plans that could save you money, simply by shifting activities to offpeak times or weekends. For example, Electric Ireland has Weekender price plans where you can avail of free electricity on Saturdays or Sundays between 8am and 11pm.
Having a smart meter means no more estimated bills, so you know exactly where you stand. But just because you have a smart meter doesn’t mean you are automatically on a smart plan, she points out, so talk to your energy provider to make sure you are making the most of yours.
Don’t wait until your existing boiler breaks down because, in a crisis, you might end up locking yourself into another oil or gas boiler for 10 or more years
The next step on your net-zero objective is to be savvy about the electrical appliances you buy. If your cooker or washing machine, for example, is coming to the end of its life, or you simply have the budget for a better one, it is worth upgrading to a more energy-efficient version.
A higher energy-rated appliance, such as a clothes dryer or dishwasher, may cost a little more but will save on energy usage and therefore save on your energy bills too. Most new electrical appliances like washing machines and dishwashers come with built-in timers, meaning you can programme them to turn on during cheaper offpeak times.
Thanks to new EU-mandated energy labelling, it’s now easier than ever to see and choose the most energy-efficient models, she says. That includes seeing and comparing the cost of use. “If you have to replace an appliance, buying an energy-efficient one makes most sense and you don’t have to do any research now to find them – it’s right there in front of you on the label,” says Dorran.
Next, look at the fabric of your home. To make sure that any heat generated in your home, stays in your home, it may be time to upgrade your insulation.
“When people think about upgrading their home for energy efficiency, they often think about complete home retrofits and big renovations,” she says. “While this can be the best option depending on the customer and their home, it is also possible to take it one step at a time, with grants available for each step, including insulation, from the SEAI [Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland].”
Grants are available to support the cost of installing solar PV panels, too. “These will immediately cut your energy bills because you are creating your own green electricity at home,” she says. “Any energy that you are not using immediately can be diverted to storage, such as to keep the water hot in your immersion, or to charge a battery for use later. Or you can sell it back to the grid through the Microgeneration Support Scheme, which Solar customers can sign up to. Electric Ireland are currently paying customers a rate of 19.5 cent per kWh when they export back to the grid.”
Grants are also available from the SEAI, under certain schemes, towards the cost of getting a Home Energy Assessment, which includes a Building Energy Rating (Ber) assessment and a report with recommendations and estimated costs for improving your home’s efficiency.
Getting your Ber gives you a starting point from which to work and, by making energy efficiency improvements and securing a higher Ber, you stand to benefit from cheaper lending rates. “So you can save on your mortgage too,” says Dorran.
Once you’ve identified air leaks, insulated your home and perhaps replaced windows and doors, the next step may be to invest in an electric heat pump to replace an existing polluting oil or gas boiler to ensure you are heating your home as efficiently as possible.
“Don’t wait until your existing boiler breaks down because, in a crisis, you might end up locking yourself into another oil or gas boiler for 10 or more years,” she says. Homes built after 2011 are already heat pump ready, thanks to building regulations introduced then.
The other advantage of undertaking energy upgrades sooner rather than later is the generous Government grants available to support them. Who knows how generously, or for how long, these will be maintained, she points out.
“It’s another reason why now is a good time to do these things,” says Dorran.
The real value of switching to an EV is that the running costs are just so much less than a petrol or diesel car
Electric Ireland Superhomes, the energy provider’s one-stop-shop, can help. It looks after all the key stages of a home energy retrofit, from design to completion, including SEAI grant management. Because it’s Electric Ireland, it comes with expert guidance, quality assurance and peace of mind.
Many people have already made the change from petrol and diesel cars to electric vehicles, for which SEAI grants are also available. There is a grant available for home EV chargers, too, she says, which Electric Ireland also installs, worth €300.
“But the real value of switching to an EV is that the running costs are just so much less than a petrol or diesel car, especially if you can charge it at home at night at a much cheaper rate, such as with the Electric Ireland Smart Meter Night Boost Plan,” she says.
The fact that there are now many more second-hand EVs available to buy helps make them even more accessible, as does the growth of public charging infrastructure, she says.
Whichever step you take on your drive to net zero, each provides a double benefit, says Dorran; “You’re doing the right thing and you’re saving money as well.”
- For more information on the steps you can take in your journey to Net Zero see Electric Ireland’s Net Zero Hub
- Electric Ireland are proud sponsors of Ireland’s Greenest Places. To nominate the places – and the people behind the places – that you believe deserve to be acknowledged and recognised in The Irish Times, click here
