Thank
you to those families that took part in our Energy Survey.
In all, we received 107 replies.
1.
How many long life light bulbs (CFLs) are in your house? _____
Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL) are more
efficient and last 10 times longer than ordinary bulbs Interestingly,
they use 50% - 80% less energy! Replacing one bulb with a CFL will keep
half a ton of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere over the life of
the bulb. In our survey, 76 had CFLs in their homes - 31 do not - or
children were unsure.
2. Do you have a lagging jacket in your hot press? Yes/ No
An uninsulated hot water cylinder loses heat
rapidly and wastes money. You can save up to 30% of your waterheating
costs by fitting a good quality, 80mm thick lagging jacket to an unlagged
cylinder. A lagging jacket gives hotter water for longer periods. In
our survey, 95 children ticked 'yes' and 12 children ticked'no'.
3.
Do you have a timer on your immersion? Yes/ No
"You can make further savings if you
use a timer control on your immersion heater because it helps to keep
waste to a minimum. It will enable you to heat water only when you need
it; an automatic timer can be programmed to switch on and off to suit
a family's needs." - ESB.
Our survey revealed the following results:
Yes = 77; No/Don't
know = 27; No immersion = 3
4.
Do you leave your TV on standby? Always / Sometimes / Never.
"Britons waste the equivalent of around
two power stations' worth of electricity each year by leaving TV sets
and other gadgets on standby." See BBC web report by clicking here.
Always
= 2; Sometimes = 64; Never =
41
5.
Do you have an attic? Yes/ No
If so, do you have insulation? Yes/ No
If yes, please state thickness and type.______________.
"Up to one-third of heat loss in a home
is through the roof. A 150mm (6") attic insulation can pay for
itself in energy savings within 2 years" - ESB.
Of the 107 replies we received, 5 families do not have an attic.
Of the 102 attics, 94 were insulated, though few were aware of the thickness.
6.
Do you have double glazing?
"Double glazing reduces heat loss through
windows and reduces condensation and noise" - ESB
98 homes, in our survey, are double glazed.
7.
Are your doors and windows draught proofed? Yes/ No?
"Up to 15% of heat escapes through badly
fitting external doors and windows. Fitting draught excluders to eliminate
draughts is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to reduce heat loss"
- ESB
Yes = 92; No = 15
8.
What is the main type of heating system in your house? Oil/ gas / electric/
coal/
wood pellets / other ( please state)____________
"About 98% of Ireland's final energy
demand is produced by burning coal, oil, peat, or natural gas. Energy
use can have many and varied detrimental impacts on the environment,
most of which relate to the burning of fuel which releases pollutant
substances into the air. Modern wood pellet stoves offer the warmth
and comfort of wood heating but are highly efficient, clean burning
and totally automatic, saving you time and money."
- SEI. To read more about our over dependence on fossil fuels, please
click here.
Oil = 17; Gas = 89; Electricity = 0; Coal = 1; Wood Pellets = 0 (although
one family burns eco-logs in their open fire. These are available from
the Eco-Shop in Kilmacanogue)
9.
Do you leave the water running when you clean your teeth? Yes /No
"You can waste up to 5 litres of water
every minute by leaving a tap running? If you are washing your face,
put the stopper in the sink. Don’t leave the
tap running if you are brushing your teeth" - SEI
Yes = 35; No = 72. Some children suggested that other
members of their families are guilty of leaving the tap running!
10.
Have you any dripping taps? Yes / No
A dripping tap can waste as much as 90 litres
a day.
Yes = 11; No = 96
11.
Do you use a shower/ bath?
Is it a power shower? Yes/ No
Take a shower rather than a bath. A typical
shower uses only one fifth of the energy of a full bath.
10 minutes in a power shower uses 250 litres of water!!
Shower = 57; Bath = 7; Both (!) = 43
12.
Do you fill your washing machine? Yes / No
"Try to accumulate a full load for the
washing machine rather than using it with part loads. Unless the machine
has an effective 'Economy' cycle it will use virtually the same amount
of electricity and detergent with a part load as with a full load"
- ESB
Yes = 104; No = 3
13.
Do you fill your dishwasher? Yes / No
Yes = 95; No = 2; 10 families do not have
a dish washer.
If you want to get more ideas that will save on your energy bills, try any of the websites listed below. The government has recently announced that grants are available for renewable energy home heating projects under Sustainable Energy Ireland's Green Homes Scheme. Details of the scheme have been formally announced by Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Mr. Noel Dempsey T.D. and are available on the SEI website by clicking here.