New homes use more gas than old homes

Yellow_Fern

Research from the CSO has found A- and B-rated dwellings use more gas than F- and G-ranked dwellings. I think this is linked a few factors like house sizes getting larger, the rebound effect and the shoddiness of the BER , but it doesn't bode well for the notion that new homes will save us from carbon emissions.

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/2022/08/08/energy-efficient-homes-pay-higher-gas-bills/

https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-dberngs/householdgasconsumptionbybuildingenergyratings2020/keyfindings/

magicbastarder

could also be down to demographics; new highly rated homes may be more likely to be occupied by higher earners who worry less about gas bills.

however - it's been quite a while since i had to worry about BER ratings; should they not take the size of the house into account? IIRC, they don't.

walterking

People are warmer in new homes and get used to a warmer environment and end up having thermometer set far too high.

A friend of mine had his at 73f and no zoning. Trying to tell him how the difference between 68f (ideal) and 73f was not 7% was futile

Danzy

Older homes tend to have older people.

No one burns energy and gas like someone under 40 from an urban area.

If you are in a t-shirt outside of summer months in your house, if your bedroom is always warm.

Princesses and that's just the lads.

Energy efficiency is well and good but pointless if you think that the house must be 18 degrees at all times. Is it any wonder that asthma is such a growing problem.

colm_mcm

Newer homes are way bigger for a start. If you calculate per sqm they’re obvs cheaper.

L1011

So to add to all the obvious points above - physically bigger houses (BER is based on cubic metre usage. Smaller houses will have smaller bills at equal BERs), older people, richer people - older houses are probably using electric water heating, at least during summer, due to not having any zoning controls. I use more gas than someone who heats their shower with electricity, but I use vastly less electricity.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119469544#Comment_119469544

They are based on a per cubic area usage

Yellow_Fern

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119469544#Comment_119469544

They take that into account in some of the calculations. See Table 6A and Table 6B. But even then, there is only about a 25% reduction of A/B houses from F/G houses, when the BER predicts a 65% or more reduction. The more important point I am making is how difficult it is reduce the very large amount of emissions that come from home heating.

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119469545#Comment_119469545

what's that in real money?

ted1

The real issue is that heat pumps aren’t been commissioned correctly. So they are Costing far more to run

Yellow_Fern

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119470878#Comment_119470878

I have no about that is true but this study is not about heat pumps.

Sierra Oscar

Aren't older, lower energy rated homes more likely to have a greater fuel mix too when compared to a new home that lacks a fireplace or stove and whatnot?

I can't really tell whether the statistics are referring to homes that only use gas as a fuel or not.

ted1

They price per Kwh seems a bit high.

sydthebeat

Weird way to present statistics.

They didn't seem to remove the F and G properties who are solely heated by electricity, of which there will be quite a significant number. Therefore every single one of these is zero gas per m2 compared to A and B rated demons which in most cases will be single fuel dwellings

3d4life

Are new builds being connected to the gas network ?

If so, Why ?

Why does the CSO bother with 'research' like this ?

(new builds around here do not come with gas connection)

Syd, as you know, heating by electric only is not the preserve of F & G rated properties. Should A rated electric properties be removed too ?

The entire article is a bit weird. Did some journo not understand what he was told to write up ?

Yellow_Fern

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119471959#Comment_119471959

The research includes BER Bs so that is pre-2011. It is actually very valuable research and is a sobering reality check on meeting our carbon emissions. Look at the raw results on the CSO site. I posted the link.