Latest CSO report highlights retrofitting challenges for Louth homes

Figures released today by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) on the types of fuel used to heat homes, as well as domestic building energy ratings for houses in Louth, highlight the challenges homeowners in the county will face when it comes to retrofitting to improve energy efficiency.

According to the latest Domestic Building Energy Ratings figures for the years 2009-2022, out of the 28,386 domestic buildings in Louth with a Building Energy Rating (BER) audit, mains gas is the main heating space fuel used in the county, with 56% using the fuel. This is followed by 31% using heating oil, 10% using electricity, 2% using solid fuel and 1% using Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

The scale of work required to increase the Building Energy Ratings to an A or B grade in Louth becomes more apparent, with figures showing that 77% of homes on the report have a BER rating of C or lower. 11% of homes in Louth have an A rating, with 14% of building on a B rating. This is followed by 41% of domestic buildings on a C rating and 18% on a D rating. The remaining 18% are on an E, F or G rating.

The CSO says however, that on a national level at least, dwellings built in 2015-2019 and 2020-2022 were considerably more energy efficient than those built in earlier periods with 97% and 99% respectively given an “A” rating compared with 33% in 2010-2014 and 1% in 2005-2009. It also says that 80% of dwellings built in 2020-2022 used electricity for heating.