Energy efficiency concerns as Cork City has the oldest average house age in the country

CORK City has the oldest average house age in the country, according to a new study.

The average age of a house in the Rebel city comes in at 45 years old, followed by Limerick City, where the average house age is 38.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, county Kildare has the youngest homes in the country, with an average house age of 22.

The findings are contained in a new joint study by Wizer Energy and Digital Funnel which was created by analysing the most recent CSO figures.

“Having an older home doesn’t necessarily mean it’s less energy efficient, but chances are it probably is,” Martin Desmond, MD of Wizer Energy, said.

“When you look at Cork City, for example, a lot of these buildings are old, Victorian-era buildings that have been converted into rental accommodation, they’ll have older, single glazed windows and high ceilings making the space incredibly difficult to heat and keep heated.

“Your heating bill will be significantly more here compared to one of the newer builds in Kildare or Meath,” he continued.

The study also found that Leitrim and Roscommon feature the most energy inefficient properties in the country with 12 G rated domestic buildings followed by Tipperary with 11.

The greater Dublin area and its surroundings are the most energy efficient sections of the country.

Kildare tops the rankings, with 20 A rated properties followed by Meath and Dublin County with 19.

To improve the BER rating of a property, homeowners are advised to invest in insulation, to start investigating the renewable energy route, or opt for carpet rather than wooden floors to trap heat in.

“The gaps around doors and windows can leave a lot of heat out, so pick up some draught excluders from a DIY store,” Mr Desmond also advised.

“Last but not least, switch your lightbulbs to LED bulbs if you haven’t already done so.”