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One of the least monitored areas of energy conservation is the loss of heat from a domestic dwelling. There are many exit points for heat escaping but the attic is often the least considered and the biggest offender in this regard. It is very important that when an attic is converted that proper insulation is applied to all areas.
If your house is a two-storey house with decent pitch, you will have attic or a functioning attic room. Heat from the floor below will rise and help heat that area. Insulation of roof space is critical in an attic as this is the most shallow exterior of the house and heat will pour out if not properly insulated.
If you have a modern dormer bungalow, you may have a pre-cast concrete first floor. This keeps heat downstairs very effectively as you have a 9” base plus a 3” screed on top of it. Zoned heating via whatever system you have in the rest of the house is effective in the attic living area in this situation. Put heavy blinds on the Velux windows in an attic room to prevent heat loss at night.
There are no exact figures available but energy experts agree that most homes in Ireland are losing heat in a variety of ways that when identified can be halted.
Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) is a Government body set up to bring efficiencies to the entire energy supply business in Ireland. From the 1 st January 2009, every home in the country will be obliged to have what is known as a BER rating. BER stands for Building Energy Rating. BER is similar to the energy label for a household electrical appliance like your fridge. The label has a scale of A-G. A-rated homes are the most energy efficient and G the least efficient.
A BER certificate will be compulsory for almost all new homes by mid 2008. If you are buying or renting a new house or an apartment now, you may already be entitled to a BER - so do ask the seller/landlord or their agent for it.
From January 1, 2009, a BER certificate will be compulsory for all homes being sold or rented. Specially trained BER assessors, registered by Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI), will carry out BER’s. A list of BER Assessors is available on the SEI website .
The requirement to provide a BER is being introduced on a phased basis as follows:
New dwellings: The regulations apply to new dwellings for which planning permission was applied for on or after 1st January 2007. Transitional BER exemptions will apply to new dwellings for which planning permission is applied on or before 31st December 2006, where the new dwellings involved are substantially completed on or before 30th June 2008.
New Non-Domestic Buildings: The regulations apply to new non-domestic buildings for which planning permission was applied for on or after 1 st July 2008. Transitional BER exemptions will apply to new non-domestic buildings for which planning permission is applied on or before 30 th June 2008 provided the new non-domestic buildings involved are substantially completed by 30th June 2010.
Existing Buildings: (dwellings and other buildings) when offered for sale or letting on or after 1 st January 2009.
Large Public Service Buildings: A public body shall, in relation to a large building occupied by it on or after 1 st January 2009, secure and display a BER certificate in a prominent place clearly visible to the public.
A seller must provide a BER to prospective buyers or tenants when a home is constructed, sold or rented under the following circumstances:
- New homes where planning permission was applied for on or after the 1 st of January 2007:
- All homes for sale or rent on or after 1 st January 2009
The BER system of evaluation will of great benefit to Irish householders. Obviously, the owners of poorer heated homes that get a low-grade assessment will be unhappy as it effects the price of the house should they want to sell their property. However, those people should look at the rating as a positive thing; if it is low, it means their heating bills are high and small steps could perhaps make a substantial difference in their heat outgoings.
Quite simply the BER certificate is going to be an important document in the calculation of the value of your home in the future. Have a look at our heat - retention suggestions for making your home a warmer and cheaper place to live. Quite apart from the value of high- rating on the certificate, the management of heat in the home has such positive economic gains that it would be foolish to be ignorant of the methods there are to save heat.
For more assistance and advice, please visit our sister site www.heating-ireland.com, which will take you through the main rooms of the house with practical suggestions on conserving heat in each area of the home.
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