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Home Energy Saving Kits Now Available from ALL Dublin City Libraries

07th March, 2017

The Home Energy Saving Kits help householders better understand their energy use and reduce their bills and can now be borrowed free-of-charge from all Dublin City Council Libraries. 

The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Denis Naughten TD, launched the kits earlier today, which were developed by Codema.  This is the first time that such a scheme is available in Ireland, and follows on from a successful pilot last year, where the kits were trialled in 10 library branches.

The six tools in the kit address key areas of energy use in the home - space heating, hot water and electricity consumption - and can identify common issues such as lack of insulation, poor ventilation and the appliances that might be driving up electricity bills.

Speaking at the launch earlier today, the Minister said:

I have consistently said that climate and energy policies must be citizen and community led. Codema’s Home Energy Savings Kits are an excellent example of a simple but easy to use and understand device that will help thousands of homeowners to take that all-important first step on their sustainable energy journey. In fact, I am such a firm believer in these kits that I am delighted to announce that my Department will be supporting their immediate expansion to a number of additional urban and rural areas. This expansion will allow us to develop a robust business case on their effectiveness and, if successful, look at providing these kits through a number of different channels nationwide from libraries to schools to civic and community centres.

Dublin City Librarian, Margaret Hayes, added:

This project represents an innovative contemporary service based on core library principles of sharing community resources to make life better for citizens and communities.  It also allows the library service to spread the energy-saving message amongst colleagues countrywide.

This next phase is supported by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) whose CEO Jim Gannon said:

We are delighted to work with Codema and Dublin City Council Libraries & Archives to evaluate the impact of the kits on Dublin households. What we know already is that they can help homeowners see how and where they might be wasting energy and that’s a great place for anyone to start their energy efficiency journey.

Verena Brennan, Codema’s Energy Awareness Manager, added:

When we began the pilot programme last year, the demand from the public really exceeded our expectations.  Now we have Home Energy Saving Kits in all Dublin City Council libraries and in greater quantities as well, so we are very hopeful that this next phase will further encourage the shift in behavioural change that is so desperately needed to improve energy efficiency at both a local and national level.

The Home Energy Saving Kits are available to borrow from all of Dublin City Council’s 21 Public Libraries from today.  For a full list of these branches, and for further information, please visit www.codema.ie/energysavingkit.

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