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Irish Times
15 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Homeowners can ‘save more than €3,500 a year' with energy-efficient technology
Homeowners using energy-efficient technologies such as solar panels, heat pumps and electric-vehicle home chargers can save more than €3,500 a year, a report says. As well as reporting big savings, people who have taken the most energy-efficient approach to their homes say they get additional benefits including enhanced levels of comfort, according to Electric Ireland's sustainability index. Despite the benefits, however, a significant portion of the population feel unable to invest in such technologies due to the upfront costs and a lack of clear guidance. A total of 13 per cent of those who took part in the survey said they had solar panels installed; 11 per cent owned heat pumps and 7 per cent had EV chargers. READ MORE Respondents said there were clear cost benefits to these new technologies. Householders generating energy through solar panels reported perceived savings averaging €91 a month on energy bills. Those with heat pumps said they saved an average of €77 monthly. EV owners reported average savings of €128 a month on fuel costs. The cumulative monthly savings for people with all three technologies comes in at €296 monthly or €3,552 over a year. While financial savings were listed as the leading benefits, some respondents also spoke of additional benefits: 60 per cent of heat pump owners said their homes were more comfortable as a result and 46 per cent said convenience was another benefit. Despite benefits of such technology, the Electric Ireland sustainability index shows that willingness to make the switch to more energy-efficient technologies remains low beyond the early adopters. For those who have yet to make any home energy-efficiency upgrades, few have active plans to do so. Just 22 per cent are considering solar panels with only 12 per cent considering heat pumps or EV chargers. The most commonly cited barrier is cost, with nearly 60 per cent saying the upfront cost was a key deterrent. 'What Electric Ireland's new sustainability index reveals is that the long-term benefits of more energy-efficient technologies are clear – but the upfront costs can be challenging' Electric Ireland's Noeline Gibbons said. She said the average cost of a solar PV system was €8,000 to €10,000 and when SEAI grants were included most households saw a return on investment within four to six years. 'We are acutely aware that many families and individuals want to start the energy transition, but struggle with upfront costs and a lack of information,' she said. Beyond cost concerns, others reported that the process of accessing grants felt like too much hassle or said they were unsure if the investment would pay off in the long term. Ms Gibbons said a lack of information and the ease of sticking to current habits were also noted by some as factors holding people back. Awareness of available grants was limited with less than 40 per cent familiar with government support schemes. 'Our sustainability index show that many consumers who are considering switching to more sustainable energy lifestyles simply don't know where to begin – and the range of options can feel complex and daunting so there is a clear need for simple accessible information,' Ms Gibbons said. The sustainability index was conducted by Red C Research between April 2nd and April 10th, with a nationally representative survey of 1,026 adults.
Irish Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Gary Neville's 18-word message that GAA legend says is key to success
Tipperary hurling legend Liam Sheedy believes sport is bigger than just winning or losing on any given day. As well as having a positive impact on your mental and physical health, engaging in sport at any level can develop characteristics that can transfer to work and to the hectic nature of modern life. Sheedy cited his own experience, as well as conversations with Manchester United legend Gary Neville on how sport has shaped his personality. 'I suppose at the end of the day, they all want to win,' he said of the Tipperary teams he has managed to two senior All-Ireland hurling titles. Sheedy was speaking on the latest episode of Electric Ireland's GAA Minor Moments podcast. He continued: 'They are on a relentless pursuit of getting the best out of themselves. 'In some ways, if you are getting the best out of yourself, you are winning. Media, etcetera, they'll all focus on the result. But most teams, if they win half the time, they are doing well. You don't win every day. 'And I think they have an ability to believe in themselves, and they have an ability to… Gary Neville has a great line where he says, 'I'm going to attack every day and I'm going to show up again tomorrow; win, lose or draw'. 'So, it's just taking that approach to life that says, I'm going to dust myself down and go again.' According to Sheedy, the skills he learned on the pitch as a youngster prepared him for a successful business career. 'I only have the one set of tools. Whether I'm in a boardroom or in a dressing room, it's the same Liam Sheedy that you get,' he said. 'A lot of my skills, a lot of my character and how I was moulded has come from the pitch, and I managed to transfer those skills over to work, because they are fully transferable. 'There certainly wasn't anything in my DNA at 17 or 18 years of age that would have said I'd have gone on to have senior leadership roles in companies. 'I think that's the beauty of sport and about being curious and trying to get the best out of yourself. Doors have a habit of opening. 'My mother was very supportive of me throughout my life and having that strong backing, if you believe in yourself, go for it. 'She used to always say, try to give as much as you can in life, because life's a reflector. Whatever you give, you get back. 'If you give abuse, you'll get it back. If you give positivity, you'll get it back too. 'We should listen to the people who know best and the ones that have all the experience, because you are learning everyday.' One key lesson that he passes onto any young hurler whose path he crosses is that talent is only one part of success in sport. 'I think character is everything,' he said. 'As I often say to my panels, talent might get you in the door, but it's your character that will determine how long you'll stay. 'I think the GAA have an awful lot to offer in what they give. 'I'm 55 now and it's a much more complex world that people are having to grow up in now, and I don't think the club and the community has ever had a more important role in society and in providing those kids a safe place where you can go down and express yourself and enjoy yourself, and get the best out of yourself. 'You can get all of those skills that you need in life and in work, they are all going for free, they really are all going for free. So I think the GAA has an important role to play. 'Whether you play minor for Tipp or minor for Longford, or whether you just play for your club, if you are playing and you continue to play, I think you are surrounded in a really good group. 'As I said, the kids of today, they have to deal with a lot more than we had to deal with, with social media. 'Look, it's just not simple anymore for kids, but I think the GAA has to be the heartbeat of every community. 'I think if you are in the GAA you have the best chance possible of getting the best out of yourself over your hurling career, footballing career and your business career.'
BreakingNews.ie
13-06-2025
- General
- BreakingNews.ie
Ireland's Greenest Places: Gain recognition for your favourite outdoor space
The details of the search for Ireland's Greenest Places 2025 have been announced. Anyone living in a community, village, suburb, or town anywhere on the island of Ireland can help their favourite outdoor space gain the title of one of Ireland's Greenest Places. Advertisement The initiative, launched by The Irish Times in association with Electric Ireland, will see each nominated place judged on specific criteria. This will include its beneficial environmental impact, the level of ongoing collective engagement by the community, and evidence of behavioural change by people. To help the place of your choice be in with a chance of claiming the title of one of Ireland's Greenest Places, you must write a short submission of up to 300 words explaining why it is so special and the tangible contribution it makes to a greener environment. Photo: Julien Behal The chair of the judging panel, Irish Times features editor Mary Minihan, said the panel will be looking for places which offer a vision of a more sustainable future. Advertisement 'We chose place because it's a deliberately broad term. People can nominate a suburb, village, town or community such as a peninsula, island or other distinct area anywhere on the island," she said. "The key will be how it measures up against the criteria outlined above as well of course as care for nature and the local environment. 'Over the next four months our judges will draw up shortlists based on the submissions, visit the front-runners, choose winners in each category and eventually choose an overall winner. "We are looking forward so much to hearing from people from each of the 32 counties as soon as possible to help us identify Ireland's Greenest Places 2025.' Advertisement Climate change Former Green Party leader and Minister for the Environment Eamon Ryan, who is one of the judges, said Irish people care about climate change and are concered about its effects. He said one of the key objectives of the competition is to showcase the contributions people and communities are making to a greener Ireland. "We also know that place-based solutions deliver climate actions that really work because they are developed and underpinned by community ownership," he said. 'With this initiative we want to celebrate what's happening in so many locations around the country, share those learnings as widely as possible and encourage more people to get involved in making their community a better place to live now and into the future." Advertisement Electric Ireland's Lisa Browne said the company is proud to partner with The Irish Times as the sponsor of Ireland's Greenest Places. 'As a judge, I'm looking forward to seeing the wonderful stories come in from communities around Ireland and their journey to a more sustainable life," she said. "This partnership is the perfect fit with our strategy to empower customers to live an all-electric life and to help customers to see how big or small changes can make a real difference.' Joining Mary Minihan and Lisa Browne on the judging panel will be Irish Times environment editor Kevin O'Sullivan and senior features writer Rosita Boland. If you know a place in Ireland that deserves recognition for its contribution to a greener future, submit your nomination here .
Irish Times
24-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
ESB group owes €5.6bn in bonds
State-owned energy supplier ESB owed €5.66 billion to creditors holding its bonds at the end of last year, new figures show. The group, whose Electric Ireland subsidiary sells electricity and gas, borrows money from capital markets by issuing bonds through another arm, ESB Finance Designated Activity Company. Accounts recently filed for that business show it owed €5.66 billion in total on foot of those bonds on December 31st last year. That was about €300 million less than the €5.97 billion due 12 months earlier, the figures show. ESB Finance repaid a €300 million bond in January last year, the date on which it was due. READ MORE The bonds – a type of debt that can be bought and sold – fall due for repayment on various dates between 2028 and 2044, but most are due within the next 10 years. [ Plans to boost electricity grid resilience ahead of winter storm season to go to Cabinet Opens in new window ] The interest payable varies between 1.125 per cent and 4.25 per cent. The accounts indicate that ESB borrowed the more expensive debt in the earlier years of this decade, when inflation forced an increase in interest rates. ESB group ultimately guarantees the sums borrowed, which it uses to fund its large investment programme. The finance arm raises the money and advances it to other companies in the group. They spend it mostly on the expensive infrastructure that the business needs to generate and distribute electricity, including power plants, wind farms and its network. Those companies owed ESB Finance €5.74 billion at the end of last year, the accounts show. 'We're at a critically low level of housing stock' for buyers and renters Listen | 33:06 In a statement, the group said its capital investment programme aimed to continue connecting renewables, adding capacity and 'ensuring safe, secure, and reliable electricity supplies' in the face of more extreme weather. ESB drew heavy criticism last winter for the pace at which it restored power to some areas following Storm Éowyn . 'Since the start of the year, ESB Finance DAC has not raised new debt,' the group said. However, it pointed out that a group subsidiary, NIE Finance plc, raised stg £350 million to repay debt due in October. That company borrows cash on behalf of Northern Ireland Electricity Networks Ltd, which ESB owns. ESB Group is committed to investing in its businesses over the long term, its chief financial officer, Paul Stapleton, pointed out in March when it reported a €706 million profit for 2024. ESB Networks in the Republic and NIE Networks in the North both plan to double the scale of their investment over the next five years, he said.
Irish Times
24-05-2025
- Irish Times
What are Ireland's Greenest Places in 2025? Share the places you feel are contributing to a better environment
The Irish Times is embarking on a countrywide search for Ireland's Greenest Places 2025. The 32-county competition hopes to discover some great places, explore them, and share them with the rest of Ireland and the world. The overall winner will be selected not only for its tangible contribution to a genuinely greener environment and a high level of participation, but also for its vision of a new kind of living or working, based on sustainability , building climate resilience, community engagement and care for the nature . Today sees the start of the search for Ireland's Greenest Places 2025 in association with Electric Ireland, with special categories to reflect the breadth of impactful work in the best interests of local environments. We are asking readers to nominate the places – and the people behind the places – that they believe deserve to be acknowledged and recognised in The Irish Times. A panel of judges and researchers will scour Ireland to check out some of these locations in advance of the awards. READ MORE Where do I come in? To help us, we are asking the public (that's you) to nominate places in Ireland you believe deserve to be acknowledged and rewarded. What sort of place can I nominate? 'Place' is a deliberately broad term. You can nominate a suburb, village, town, island or wider region such as a peninsula or other distinct area – such as a community. You can live there or be a visitor. Entries will be judged on criteria including: beneficial environmental impact; level of ongoing collective engagement; and evidence of behavioural change by people. Keep these in mind when detailing your nomination. How can I nominate a place? In this article you'll find a simple form that allows you to enter a short 'pitch' of up to 300 words for your nominee for best green place. The categories are: Ireland's greenest suburb Ireland's greenest village Ireland's greenest town Ireland's greenest community An overall winner will then be selected. How are winners chosen? Over the course of the next four months our judges will shortlist a number of places based on the submissions, visit the front-runners, choose winners in each category and eventually choose an overall winner. Every stage of the contest will be documented in The Irish Times and on . Our judging panel is composed of some people with expertise in sustainability and environmentalism. They include: former Green Party leader and ex-minister for environment Eamon Ryan ; Irish Times Environment Editor Kevin O'Sullivan, Senior Features Writer Rosita Boland and Electric Ireland's Head of Marketing Lisa Browne. The panel will be chaired by Irish Times Features Editor Mary Minihan. Where are Ireland's 'green leaders' when it comes to place? While it has become fashionable to highlight big commitments to sustainability, there is a growing risk of greenwashing, particularly in business and the corporate world. All too often they frequently don't stack up. But others are responding meaningfully to the dual climate and nature loss crises in their collective best interests and that of their locality – sometimes, it's the beginning of a journey. Yes, there are obvious negatives that persist and cannot be ignored such as water quality deterioration in rivers, lakes and estuaries; high carbon emissions across every sector; species decline – birds, animals and plants – and land use undermining soil quality as the Irish landscape is a source of carbon rather than a store of it; all due to human activities – both North and South. Prof Yvonne Buckley, who is co-director of Co-Centre for Climate + Biodiversity + Water based in Trinity College Dublin, is uniquely positioned to comment on the island of Ireland's green credentials. While she experiences the realities of environmental degradation constantly, she believes much of Ireland, often driven by community initiatives, is transforming to more sustainable living. She points to biodiversity officers in almost every local authority area – ie 'in every community' – and the adoption of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, notably by the Tidy Towns movement. Then there are specific initiatives, such as Killarney becoming the first town in Ireland to phase out single-use coffee cups , 'where people come together to deliver things'. 'This shows change is possible and you can follow that down to other areas of sustainability,' Prof Buckley says. Another strong trend is increased focus on sustainable foods, she says, particularly in restaurants with a rebalancing away from carbon-intensive foods (such as red meat) to less carbon-intensive plant-based ingredients. This is frequently backed by provenance, indicating where food was grown, caught or raised with a priority for the local. Prof Buckley says there is considerable support for sustainable transport in public places and around schools. While the negatives around this get a lot of coverage, 'a lot of good work is being done [driven by community action]. They are often the silent majority'. If there is a critical mass of people doing things, individuals are more inclined to act themselves, Prof Buckley says. The Environmental Protection Agency's Climate Change in the Irish Mind survey is very clear that the Irish public wants more effective climate action at every level. It also confirmed strong preference for environmental actions to counter 'local environmental hazards', with high levels of concern about water pollution, severe storms, air pollution, flooding and rising sea levels. Nonetheless, Buckley says action can still be hard as people are frustrated by 'higher costs and other kinds of friction'. Where does 'climate action' fit in? There is, rightly, much focus on decarbonisation, cutting our extremely high carbon emissions and switching to clean energy, but as Green Party senator Malcolm Noonan has highlighted: 'As we make vital progress in reducing energy-related emissions, we must also remember that decarbonisation doesn't stop at power plants and vehicles. Nature-based solutions – like restoring peatlands, planting native woodlands, and protecting biodiversity – are essential allies in this transition. It is also important to note the role being played by farming and the agriculture sector.' In all corners of Ireland, there is evidence of sustainability in action. It ranges across bog and habitat restoration; rewilding; scaling up afforestation with native trees and hardwoods; deployment of low-cost, nature-based solutions such as restoring dune systems and countering coastal erosion; farmers working together to enhance river catchments and recording of Ireland's remarkable biodiversity. Of course, being green goes beyond nature and is seen in people, for instance, embracing circularity in the pursuit of zero waste; devising innovative climate action strategies proven to work; or achieving energy independence with clean technologies and building sustainable energy communities. They all have one outstanding attribute: they don't involve greenwashing or tokenism. These are the 'places' worthy of nomination for The Irish Times Greenest Place 2025 awards.
