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Reduce Your Dependence on Oil and Gas Heating Before Next Winter
If you are worried about the rising cost of oil and gas, and what it means for your heating bill this winter, then now is the time to start improving your home insulation.
Briain Kelly
April 08, 2026
Inside this Edition:
Reduce Your Dependency on Oil and Gas Heating
Understanding Solar Panel Specifications
Rooftop Solar Panels Make up 50% of Ireland's Capacity
In just 30 seconds, find out how much home solar panels can slash your electricity bills - Try our Solar Calculator now.
Reduce Your Dependence on Fossil Fuel Heating Ahead of the Winter
The average price of 500 litres of heating oil has gone up by 80% since the start of March. What might have cost approximately €500 just over a month ago is now being quoted at €900 or more.
Winter may be over, but people still need their heating. Spring has brought sunny days and warmer temperatures, but it can still get bitterly cold in the evenings in many areas.
It’s also never too early to start thinking about next Winter. We don’t know what oil or gas prices will look like later this year.
Things may settle down in the weeks and months ahead, but that’s a big if. While there is some hope that bottlenecks in the Middle East will ease, it’s only prudent to prepare for long-term high prices.
You don’t have to consider a complete home retrofit to start seriously reducing heating costs. Simple methods like improved attic and cavity wall insulation are suitable for the majority of homes in Ireland.
Both of these home improvements can be completed quickly, in a single day in many cases. They also have by far the lowest price tag for home insulation improvements.
Better insulation could already save hundreds of euro a year on heating before the recent fuel crisis. Since then, its value has only increased.
Understanding Solar Panel Specifications Before Making a Big Purchase
Solar panels can cost up to €10,000 for an Irish home. That’s a lot of money when you don’t fully understand what you’re buying.
Module Efficiency, Temperature Coefficient, Performance Guarantee, or Maximum Power Point. These are all crucial terms for understanding the value and performance of solar panels.
Read our guide before you buy to ensure you’re getting value for money.
Rooftop Solar Panels Account for 50% of Total Solar Capacity in Ireland
The potential of solar panels on homes and businesses to transform Ireland’s electricity network has never been clearer than this year. More people than ever before want to achieve energy independence by generating their own electricity.
Speaking before the Oireachtas recently, Ronan Power, CEO of Solar Ireland, said that approximately half of Ireland’s existing solar energy capacity is in smaller rooftop systems.
The solar sector has expanded rapidly in recent years under existing grid and safety standards. It is important to note that approximately 50% of solar currently deployed in Ireland is rooftop generation alongside utility scale, making solar energy a material contributor to Ireland's renewable energy mix.
Rooftop solar PV systems can be installed quickly and cheaply, with no regulatory barriers at present.
Irish homeowners can easily generate 70% of their electricity needs from home solar. This can save them anywhere from €1,000 to €1,700 a year.
We hope that you found this week’s article interesting and informative. If you want to keep learning about the latest technologies driving Ireland’s green transformation, then keep reading. Until the next edition.
Briain Kelly,
Editor, EnergyEfficiency.ie