Gerald Bruton’s campaign to cut energy costs and emissions involved both new technologies and behavioural change
A step by step guide to how a Cork homeowner cut energy costs
Analysis: Gerald Bruton’s campaign to cut energy costs and emissions involved both new technologies and behavioural change
With electricity bills doubling between late 2021 and early 2023, homeowners have come under increasing pressure to make ends meet. Where once the average annual cost of electricity was approximately €1,000 per annum, it is now routinely close to €2,000 The Government has acted to try to ease this burden with various energy credits, but this still leaves homeowners responsible for the shortfall.
Gerald Bruton is 80 years young. His journey to reduce his energy consumption began in early 2022 and was driven more by cost reduction than environmental aspirations. His house is like many others in the country, a 1970s three bedroom semi-detached located in a western residential housing estate of Cork city. Full disclosure, Gerald is my dad.
Gerald had already improved the wall and attic insulation in a bid to reduce heating oil consumption when news of the first major electricity price increase came in early 2022. Gerald’s unit costs quickly went from 21c/kWh in January 2022 to 30c/kWh by April 2022
Read more on Gearald’s reaction to these substantial price increases HERE
