4 October 2012 gazette 27
Gazettehomes efficiency measures: how to think about your energy bills as costs increase
Generating a new age for homes gerhard heyl
“Money saver”, “special offer”, “discount”... Terms that we might have ignored a few years ago if we saw them on a billboard, but not in today’s climate. We are all trying to economise and run our households with altered budgets. We shop around for the best value in groceries, clothing and entertainment, but what about your electricity costs? I’m sure I’m not the only one patrolling the house after dark, turning off lights and keeping an eagle eye on the immersion. I’m just glad we don’t have an electric shower as I think I’d be tempted to keep a stop watch running so the kids don’t spend too long in there! Over the last few years white goods and domestic appliances have become more energy efficient. You will have noticed the
huge array of choice available now. When we go to replace an old or broken appliance, it’s not just the shape and size of a machine we look at, but the”‘rating” attached to it. How much electricity does it consume and how much will it cost to run? There is a saving to be made in theory by outlaying an initial investment and upgrading white goods to triple A rated appliances and bulbs to energy efficient models. Your household equipment will be more energy efficient and you will consume less electricity, ergo a drop in your bill. But, how realistic is this in practice? We have seen a gradual increase in the cost of electricity and any savings made by upgrading small domestic appliances are at risk of being eroded by rising electricity costs.
Your consumption may well be lower, but you won’t recoup your initial sizable investment on new appliances. The drive to reduce our bills becomes a vicious cycle, we strive to make our homes as efficient as possible, we turn off lights, invest in the latest energy efficient technology and in the blink of an eye, all our investment is for naught as the unit charge on our bill simply rises again and the whole cycle starts over. If you look at it logically, the solution is clear. The only true safeguard you can have is to be in control of your own electricity generation and supply. If you can power your own home you are not at the whim of the electricity company’s latest price hike. Micro-generation can help you get there. The ability to generation a reliable, clean, free source of electricity for
your home is the way forward. Renewable solutions like photovoltaic (PV) solar panels are a cost effective way to ensure you can be in charge of your electricity costs for the next 30 years or more. These lightweight, quality panels can be installed in a day and are extremely cost effective. The PV panels are surface mounted on your roof so even if you move house, you can take them with you, making them an ideal solution for the domestic and commercial market alike. Gerhard Heyl is the managing director of established building contracting firm HSLC. In a new venture launching this autumn, Gerhard will be rolling out a programme of PV installations. See www.pvgreenenergysavings.ie for more information. Or call Gerhard on 087 774 9470/041 98 88960 , or email: info@greenenergysavings.ie
Photovoltaic cells may be one method of making some energy savings