If anyone knows the difference between a home and a super home, it’s Hugh Wallace. The award-winning architect and much-loved judge of RTE’s Home of the Year show doesn’t just assess other people’s homes on TV or, indeed, create them for clients through his busy practice, Douglas Wallace Consultants: he is currently creating a super home of his own.
He and his husband Martin Corbett are renovating a recently purchased house in Dublin’s south inner city. It’s an end-of-terrace property that was built in 1890 and had fallen into dereliction.
Once completed, Hugh is determined it will be as energy efficient, comfortable to live in and beautiful as possible.
In fact, the restoration of Ireland’s architectural heritage, from humble farmsteads to historic houses, is a passion for him.
RM Block
But as well as restoring his new home to its former glory – and beyond – he is undertaking a complete energy retrofit, turning it into a super-insulated home powered by an air-source heat pump.
By the time he is finished, the house, which was originally built with no insulation, single-glazed windows and no foundations, will be completely transformed.
And by partnering with Electric Ireland Superhomes he will not only benefit from the best possible energy efficiency solutions but is assured of qualifying for the highest-value grants available through the SEAI’s One Stop Shop home energy retrofit programme – a winning formula.
Time to boost your home’s performance
Right now, many homeowners are considering a deep retrofit project of their own. That’s because poor energy efficiency is a feature of Irish homes. Built before modern insulation standards were introduced, many are still reliant on polluting and inefficient fossil-fuel heating systems.
Indeed, of the 798,000 building energy ratings (Bers) published in the State, 691,000 have a Ber of B3 or worse.
The good news is that A-rated Ber upgrade solutions are available for every home, regardless of where you start out.
And, thanks to SEAI grants, the One Stop Shop retrofit service and the new low-cost Home Energy Upgrade Loan Scheme, such upgrades are more accessible than ever.
By working with a trusted retrofit partner such as Electric Ireland Superhomes you’ll be guided through the entire process, resulting in the best possible outcome for both your home and your budget.
Think reduced energy bills, cosier living and higher property values.
Step by step to a super home
Electric Ireland Superhomes provides expert support, a dedicated project engineer throughout the entire process, and the quality assurance of carefully selected installers. They handle the entire process for you from start to finish, including all paperwork required for your SEAI grant applications.
Your journey to a warmer, more comfortable and healthier home starts with a free consultation. From there your engineer will outline the simplest actions to give you the greatest bang for your buck.
A “fabric-first” approach, that prioritises insulation, airtightness and ventilation, ensures your heating system works as effectively as possible.
Your Electric Ireland Superhomes retrofit engineer will carry out an interim check while work is in progress and a detailed final inspection once the project is completed.
Let Hugh be the judge of that
For Hugh Wallace, the process couldn’t have been easier, or more important. He and Martin, who first found the property while out cycling, plan to move into their new home in November. A huge part of its appeal was its history and character.
Perhaps surprisingly, the couple plan to follow Martin’s interiors aesthetic, with lots of white walls relying on art and soft furnishings to provide colour. “Martin’s a minimalist, I’m a maximalist,” Hugh explains.
Both, however, share the same taste in energy efficiency.
“It’s absolutely critical. At the moment we are living in a house where the energy bills are €800 a month,” says Hugh, aghast.
It’s why, in their new home, for which he expects to secure an A3 Ber rating, all possible measures to reduce the cost of their energy bills are being taken. That includes deep insulation, a heat pump and advanced ventilation system, plus solar panels on the roof.
But it’s not just about warmth; it’s about healthy living too. The ventilation system is particularly important in ensuring a comfortable home. “It also ensures you don’t have any moisture build up or mould,” Hugh explains.
Choose the right partner
Though Hugh is now a brand ambassador for Electric Ireland Superhomes, he wasn’t when he first started out on his energy retrofit journey. He just called them up the way any consumer would and was impressed by their service.
“They came out and did an assessment of the house and gave me all the areas of improvement and the work I needed to do,” he recalls.
“They told me how I was going to insulate the attic, how I was going to stop air escaping out of the house, how I was going to provide moisture resistance and, because I have old walls, how I was going to make the home breathable. All of these things are very important and, unless you know about them, you can really make mistakes – and then you’re looking at mould or wondering why you’re cold.”
Electric Ireland Superhomes also explained the value of a heat pump and how Hugh and Martin could use underfloor heating instead of radiators. “Having no radiators means your furniture can go anywhere,” Hugh points out.
At every step he had access to his designated Electric Ireland Superhomes engineer.
“They work with you through the whole process, which, to me, is very important. It means you have a single point of contact for the whole job and no panic attacks. They provide the technical advice, the knowledge and the reassurance.”
Show me the money
Electric Ireland Superhomes also helped Hugh secure the best possible SEAI grants available, saving him money.
The retrofit work will include SEAI grants totalling €20,300 for doors, windows, floor insulation, heat pump and system, airtightness and mechanical ventilation, he says.
That left him with the balance to pay, for which he availed of the new low-cost Home Energy Upgrade Loan Scheme, available from banks and credit unions, with rates that start at around 3 per cent.
On top of all that are the environmental benefits, something that is important to Hugh; the environment is, in part at least, why he was always going to renovate an old house, rather than build a new one.
“What I love about old houses is their history and character. But if you take an old house and retrofit and refurbish it, your carbon footprint is 60 per cent less than it would be if you had built a new one,” he explains.
“On top of that, with the addition of solar panels, you’re nearly off the grid for much of the year. I know people who only pay for utilities in November, December and January.”
Over the long term he expects to recoup the cost of the retrofit not just in lower energy bills, but also in capital appreciation.
“If your home doesn’t have an A-rated Ber in future, it will be devalued and you’ll lose out,” he says, adding that this is already happening: “Purchasers are saying, if a house has a D, E or F rating, my heating bills are going to be huge.”
While Hugh’s house required a deep retrofit, not every home needs such a big transformation – especially those built after 2004. For these newer properties, Electric Ireland Superhomes offers smart alternatives through its Heat Pump Ready and Heat Pump Plus services. These solutions are designed for homes that already meet certain building standards or have undergone partial retrofitting, such as having good insulation and modern windows.
If you own such a home, Electric Ireland Superhomes can complete your Ber journey to A1 with the installation of a high-efficiency heat pump system and solar PV to generate free electricity. Net costs for this combination, after SEAI grants, can be as low as €15,000.
Electric Ireland is proud sponsor of Ireland’s Greenest Places. View the longlist here.
