Patricia Power shares tips to make your home more energy efficient
On the An Post Green Hub website, you can discover exactly what work is needed, what it will cost and the grants available to improve the BER rating of your home
Our homes have never been so in focus. For many it has been impossible to ignore the draughts and chill in older homes.
Now is a brilliant time to consider getting around to those home improvements you know will be worth it – improving the insulation, the windows or how you heat your home.
If not knowing where to start is your issue, or dreading the potential cost, An Post’s brilliant new online service The Green Hub will map out exactly what you need to do in just a few clicks.
The Green Hub is a resource where homeowners can learn exactly what work is recommended to improve their home energy efficiency, the finance options available, and information on appropriate loans, so they can make their home more comfortable as well as saving on their energy bills.
Often people can struggle to find information, SEAI-approved service providers or finance options, putting them off upgrading their home.
Quantity surveyor Patricia Power, of Room To Improve fame, believes The Green Hub makes what can be a daunting process incredibly simple.
“We have developed a new relationship with our homes throughout Covid-19 and as we head in to winter, it is a good time to think about how you can make your space as comfortable as possible. The arrival of the An Post Green Hub signals exciting times – a resource that homeowners have been calling out for to bridge that knowledge and action gap when it comes to the home energy upgrade process,” Patricia says.
You may be wondering if now is a good time to do work on your home. Patricia works in the residential market working on one-off homes and she says she has never been so busy as in the last few months.
“Everyone is thinking about getting those jobs they always said they’ll get done, like attic insulation, new windows or whatever, and they’re realising how much it will benefit them now that they’re working from home,” she says.
“Using The Green Hub, all you have to do is enter your air code, select your home type from the 50 availabel on the website, and it will have all the options explained to you, with a budget cost and details on loans, it’s brilliant.”
Not only will you save on your energy bills, and be more comfortable, it’s also a brilliant investment in the sale value of your home.
“It’s such a worthwhile investment, as the first thing you will be asked for if you are selling a home is the BER rating. The Green Hub will tell you what yours is, and what you need to do to get it to a B or an A.”
In line with the programme for Government unveiled in June, the Green Hub will play a key role in the Government’s National Retrofitting Plan which outlines an ambitious target of getting over 500,000 homes to a BER B2 by 2030.
You don’t need to fund a retrofit on your own, as SEAI grants and energy credits help to reduce the cost of the project. An Post Money’s Green Loan offers a market leading rate for loans over €20,000, which further reduces the cost of completing the cost of work. With the Green Hub’s One Stop Shop Solution, the whole retrofit process is managed by fully qualified and experienced contractors, so it’s straightforward and hassle free for homeowners.
Main image credit: Sebastian Sørensen from Pexels
