Survey reveals Cork county ranks sixth for number of eco-friendly homes

New research by Switcher.ie has revealed the counties with the most eco-friendly homes in Ireland.

AS more households drive electric, recycle and switch to cleaner, more efficient sources of energy – Switcher’s study ‘Ireland’s Greenest Homes’ analyses and ranks the counties with the most sustainable homes in Ireland.

Comparisons were made between:

Building Efficiency Rating (BER)s of B2 and above

Tonnes of recycled waste

Newly registered electric vehicles

Properties using solar energy

SEAI (Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland) solar panel installations

SEAI roof insulations

SEAI property upgrades

Wicklow was in the top spot as the county with the greenest homes in the country, with the second-highest number of EVs and energy-efficient homes. It also beat many other regions when it came to recycling, solar energy, and SEAI grants.

Wicklow, Meath, Dublin, Wexford, Sligo, Cork, Kildare, Kerry, Waterford and Galway were the top 10 counties with the most eco-friendly homes.

Though more urban counties with higher incomes like Wicklow, Meath, Kildare, Dublin, Galway and Cork made the top 10, counties like Sligo, Wexford, Waterford and Kerry also fared very well, with plenty of warm, energy-efficient properties, SEAI grants and a significant amount of homes using solar energy.

Wexford took the top spot for homes using renewable energy. It received a significant number of SEAI renewable energy grants in 2023 and was second highest for homes using solar power.

The top five counties for homes using renewable energy included Wexford, Kerry, Meath, Clare and Wicklow.

In 2023, the SEAI completed over 47,900 home energy upgrades, up 76% year on year. Roscommon had the most SEAI property upgrades per 1,000 in 2023, followed closely by the counties Sligo and Leitrim. The top five counties for homes receiving SEAI grants were: Roscommon, Sligo, Leitrim, Mayo and Waterford.

Kildare had some of the most energy-efficient homes in the country. To determine who had the warmest homes, Switcher.ie ranked counties with the highest number of properties with a BER rating of B2 or more. Other highly-rated counties included Kildare, Wicklow, Meath, Dublin, and Louth.

Commercial Director of Switcher.ie, Eoin Clarke says: ‘With ambitious climate targets, government grants and sky-high energy prices, ever more Irish households are reducing their waste, driving electric and making their homes warmer and more energy efficient. Besides lowering the carbon footprint, cleaner energy alternatives like electric cars, solar panels, and heat pumps also offer families longer-term ways to save.

Though urban, higher-income areas like Dublin, Kildare, Cork and Wicklow ranked highly for renewable energy use, electric cars and recycling, more rural regions like Wexford, Sligo, Kerry, and Roscommon featured strongly for solar power, energy efficiency and SEAI grants.

Though switching to an electric car or making your home warmer can come with steep upfront costs, many government grants are available. Always check if you’re eligible for a partial or full grant from the SEAI, so you don’t pay more than you need to.

There are also simple, less costly ways to make your home warmer, like insulating your hot water cylinder, hanging thermal curtains, fitting draught or chimney excluders, or radiator boosters to ensure a consistent room temperature.’