Featuring EnviroBead
Credit: SEAI - One Stop Shop Home Upgrades
Daikin Altherma 3 M installed in 3-bed rural home resulting in BER A3 rating and energy consumption savings of 80%
CHALLENGE: UPGRADE A “FREEZING” F-RATED BUNGALOW
For Honora Kelleher and her boyfriend Mike Hennessy, buying a three-bedroom, detached bungalow in the village of Mourneabbey was a dream come true. The couple had saved hard and were overjoyed to be moving back home to Cork after living in Dublin.
When Honora’s elderly Dad came to live with them, however, it became clear that the house – built in 1980 with a BER rating of F – had a problem. It was freezing.
“The house had absolutely no insulation,” says Honora. “We were going through three tanks of heating oil a year and had to have the fire lighting and the radiators on 16 hours a day. As soon as you turned them off, the heat went out through the walls and you were freezing again.”
The couple looked into funding available through SEAI and discovered the One Stop Shop scheme, which connects homeowners with energy efficiency experts who manage entire home energy upgrade projects from start to finish. They got in touch with local specialist Envirobead, based in nearby Mallow, and agreed a plan that would take their home from an F to an A3 rating.
SOLUTION: HEAT PUMP, INSULATION, NEW RADIATORS – AND MORE
Envirobead appointed a dedicated project manager to handle all the administration and liaise with the Kellehers, taking most of the hassle out of the process. Another benefit of the One Stop Shop scheme is that grants are discounted upfront, so the client gets the money immediately.
Once everything was approved and a site visit carried out, the installation team moved in. Envirobead pumped the walls with insulation as well as externally insulating them, replaced the windows and doors, and installed a new Daikin heat pump and radiators. They also introduced a new ventilation system to manage indoor air quality and installed solar panels on the roof to help reduce electricity consumption.
The work was all carried out within two weeks and the Kellehers didn’t even have to move out while it was taking place (although they did stay with family for three days while the radiators were being replaced).
RESULTS: SUPER SAVINGS – BUT COMFORT IS KING
It’s safe to say the Kellehers’ lives have been utterly transformed by the results of their home energy upgrade. Their home is now warm and cosy all year round, with the heat pump ensuring a steady, consistent level of comfort – no more turning the heating on or lighting the fire to try and get warm.
Thanks to the combination of upgrades, the couple’s energy consumption has been reduced by a massive 80%, on top of which they no longer need to buy heating oil – another significant saving. Because their Daikin heat pump uses mostly renewable energy (outside air), it is not only efficient and economical but also highly sustainable.
According to Honora, however, the main benefit is “no longer waking up freezing”. This corresponds with SEAI research which shows that the number one reason people are happy with their home energy upgrade is the increased levels of comfort they feel at home.
The total cost, net of the grants available, of the project was €53,000. As an additional bonus, the Kellehers were also able to avail of a lower interest-rated green loan because the A-rating they achieved with their upgrades exceeded the B2 threshold set by most banks.
Credit: SEAI – One Stop Shop Home Upgrades team for use of video. Envirobead team and customer.
HOMEOWNER:
“ONE STOP SHOP SO WORTH IT”
“It’s like a different house. It’s so comfortable that we walk around in t-shirts all the time now, in a property that used to be cold even in summer because the living areas all face north. The heat pump keeps the temperature consistently perfect. You don’t have to think about it. We used to have damp on a gable end of the house and condensation on the windows, and that’s all gone now too. It’s just been so worth it. In terms of creature comforts, it’s perfect!”
- Honora Kelleher, Daikin customer
Start your heat pump journey
Thinking about installing a heat pump to reduce your household’s energy consumption? Download our Daikin heat pump homeowner brochures for an overview of everything you need to know.
