New study reveals Wexford has the fourth most eco-friendly homes in Ireland

New research by Switcher.ie has revealed the counties with the most eco-friendly homes in Ireland….

Wexford ranked 4th overall and was number one for homes using renewable energy. This was indicated by the number of SEAI solar panel and heat pump grants received and the number of properties using solar energy.

As more households drive electric, recycle and switch to cleaner, more efficient sources of energy – Switcher’s study ‘Ireland’s Greenest Homes’ analyses and ranks the counties with the most sustainable homes in Ireland.

We compared:

BERs of B2 and above
Tonnes of recycled waste
Newly registered electric vehicles
Properties using solar energy
SEAI solar panel installations
SEAI roof insulations
SEAI property upgrades

Wicklow was in the top spot as the county with the greenest homes in the country, with the second-highest number of EVs and energy-efficient homes. It also beat many other regions when it came to recycling, solar energy, and SEAI grants.

Wicklow, Meath, Dublin, Wexford, Sligo, Cork, Kildare, Kerry, Waterford and Galway were the top 10 counties with the most eco-friendly homes.

Though more urban counties with higher incomes like Wicklow, Meath, Kildare, Dublin, Galway and Cork made the top 10, counties like Sligo, Wexford, Waterford and Kerry also fared very well, with plenty of warm, energy-efficient properties, SEAI grants and a significant amount of homes using solar energy.

Here’s a snapshot of the main stats:

COUNTY	REGISTERED EVS	B2+ PROPERTIES	PROPERTIES WITH SOLAR	TONNES OF RECYCLING
Wicklow	5.84 per 1,000 (908)	55.4 per 1,000 (8,625)	27.6 per 1,000 (4,297)	62 per 1,000(9,640)
Meath	4.7 per 1,000(1,048)	55.2 per 1,000 (12,164)	34.6 per 1,000 (7,629)	57 per 1,000 (12,557)
Dublin	7.5 per 1,000 (10,999)	52.3 per 1,000 (75,938)	18.8 per 1,000(27,325 )	215 per 1,000(311,901)
Wexford	3.1 per 1,000 (513)	33.9 per 1,000 (5,552)	29.8 per 1,000(4,881)	60 per 1,000 (9,812)
Sligo	2.6 per 1,000(183)	31.8 per 1,000 (2,222)	20.5 per 1,000(1,433)	38 per 1,000(2,653)
Cork	4 per 1,000(2,327)	42.2 per 1,000 (24,549)	25.6 per 1,000(14,886)	110 per 1,000 (63,935)
Kildare	5.1 per 1,000 (1,261)	65.8 per 1,000 (16,251)	29.4 per 1,000(7,282)	42 per 1,000 (10,373)
Kerry	1.9 per 1,000(310)	31.9 per 1,000 (4,955 )	27.4 per 1,000(4,264)	43 per 1,000(6,676)
Waterford	3.2 per 1,000(417)	37 per 1,000 (4,714)	22.1 per 1,000(2,808)	50 per 1,000( 6,354)
Galway	3 per 1,000 (830)	31.6 per 1,000 (8,759)	22.4 per 1,000(6,218)	46 per 1,000(12,717)

Top 5 for renewable energy

Wexford took the top spot for homes using renewable energy. It received a significant number of SEAI renewable energy grants in 2023 and was second highest for homes using solar power.

The top five counties for homes using renewable energy included Wexford, Kerry, Meath, Clare and Wicklow.

Most SEAI grants

In 2023, the SEAI completed over 47,900 home energy upgrades, up 76% year on year. Roscommon had the most SEAI property upgrades per 1,000 in 2023, followed closely by the counties Sligo and Leitrim. The top five counties for homes receiving SEAI grants were: Roscommon, Sligo, Leitrim, Mayo and Waterford.

With the warmest homes

Kildare had some of the most energy-efficient homes in the country. To determine who had the warmest homes, we ranked counties with the highest number of properties with a BER rating of B2 or more. Other highly rated counties included Kildare, Wicklow, Meath, Dublin, and Louth.

Best counties for electric cars

Dublin County took the top spot for electric car ownership. Though they can be expensive, electric cars are 60% cheaper to run, and with the volatile price of petrol and diesel and SEAI grants of up to €3,500 for a new EV, more Irish households are going electric. The counties with the most newly registered electric cars in 2023 included: Dublin, Wicklow, Kildare, Meath and Kilkenny.

Commercial Director of Switcher.ie, Eoin Clarke, told Wexford Weekly:

“With ambitious climate targets, government grants and sky-high energy prices, ever more Irish households are reducing their waste, driving electric and making their homes warmer and more energy efficient.
Besides lowering the carbon footprint, cleaner energy alternatives like electric cars, solar panels, and heat pumps also offer families longer-term ways to save.
Though urban, higher-income areas like Dublin, Kildare, Cork and Wicklow ranked highly for renewable energy use, electric cars and recycling, more rural regions like Wexford, Sligo, Kerry, and Roscommon featured strongly for solar power, energy efficiency and SEAI grants.
Though switching to an electric car or making your home warmer can come with steep upfront costs, many government grants are available. Always check if you’re eligible for a partial or full grant from the SEAI, so you don’t pay more than you need to.
There are also simple, less costly ways to make your home warmer, like insulating your hot water cylinder, hanging thermal curtains, fitting draught or chimney excluders, or radiator boosters to ensure a consistent room temperature.”