Do you know the BER rating of your own home? Research suggests many in Kilkenny don't!

Most homeowners (60%) in Ireland do not know the BER rating of their home and one in three (34pc) cannot afford to make their properties more energy-efficient, despite the potential of such a move to slash their energy bills long term.

That's according to a new survey by property advisor, Savills Ireland, of over 1,000 adults nationwide, which examined awareness of, and attitudes towards, the Building Energy Rating (BER) of homes.

Permission refused for holiday homes in Kilkenny

They found that almost a quarter of those asked have recently made improvements to improve the BER of their home, while a further 23pc have plans to do so over the next 12 – 24 months. 

But while environment benefits have come to the fore of public discourse in recent years, cost savings are by far and away the key driver behind Irish homeowners making their homes more efficient.

Additional findings from the survey include:

Men are more slightly more inclined than women to be inspired to energy-proof their home for the good of the environment (26% versus 19%).

The older the individual, the less likely they are to cite the environment as the key driver for a home retrofit. Less than one in five (17%) of those aged 55+ would improve the BER of their home for the good of the environment, compared to more than one in three (36%) of those aged 18 to 24.

Women are more inclined than men to say they cannot afford to improve the BER of their home (37% v 31%).

While Dubliners are amongst the least likely to retrofit their home due to the environmental benefits of doing so, those living in other Leinster counties including Kilkenny are more likely to be environmentally conscious.

Four in ten homeowners (40%) have had the BER of their home assessed.