• Susan Andrews

We offer a range of home energy grants to homeowners who want to make their homes warmer, cosier and a lot cheaper to run.

Upgrading your heating controls can reduce energy usage by 20%

Home heating systems without controls can be wasteful of energy and costly to run. This is because there is little to no control of the amount of heat being used to heat your home and your hot water. Adding modern heating controls can help match your space heating and hot water schedules to the working and living patterns in a home. This means when hot water is needed, you have it; and when you don’t it’s switched off.

At the very least, your heating systems should be split into two independently controlled zones. They are your ‘Space Heating Zone’ and your ‘Domestic Hot Water Zone’. This allows you to heat your hot water without being forced to turn on your space heating. It will also allow you to use your boiler to heat your hot water in the summer time, without using the immersion. Additional zones can also be put in place in large homes to split upstairs and downstairs or living areas and bedrooms.

How do I know if I need heating controls?

You can do a quick check to see if you need to install heating controls by answering the simple questions below. If you answer NO to some or all of the below questions, it would be beneficial for you to install some heating controls:

 1. Can you heat your domestic hot water without switching on your radiators or an electric immersion heater?

2. Can you turn on your heating without heating your domestic hot water?

3. Can you easily adjust the heat output from radiators in the rooms you use most often?

4. Do you have temperature control on your boiler?

 5. Have you time control on your boiler that you can set for different days of the week?

 6. Have you a separate temperature control for your hot water cylinder?

 7. Have you a separate time control on your hot water cylinder?

Getting your heating controls installed and getting that grant

Choosing and installing heating controls should be an easy process. First, we recommend that you shop around and view other installed systems before making your final decision. This is to ensure that you get in the best product and the best value for money.

We also recommend that you chat to your friends and family who already have heating controls installed. This will give you a better idea of how to work heating controls and whether they’re the right fit for you.

Once you’re happy with your research, choose a registered SEAI contractor and apply for your €700 grant online.

Read more about heating control grants    Home energy grants