More than 650 lives would be saved over a 10-year period if all homes were adequately heated, a new study says. There would be fewer deaths from heart disease and respiratory disease, it says.
The report, "Homes for the 21st Century", was prepared by the Energy Research Group and Environmental Institute, University College Dublin. It was published yesterday by Energy Action Ltd, a charity which has been insulating and draught-proofing the homes of older and disadvantaged people since 1988. The report finds that "fuel poverty" - not being able to afford to heat one's home - is higher in Ireland than in many other European countries.
This is not just a matter of money, it stresses. Irish housing standards are among the lowest in northern Europe for heating efficiency. The least well-off live in the most inefficient houses and the share of their income they spend on heating is three times higher than the share of income spent by the average household.
Winter brings nearly 1,500 extra deaths from heart disease and respiratory disease. Exposure to cold is among the important factors blamed by many researchers for the extra deaths.
The authors of the report point out that extra winter deaths are higher in Ireland than in countries which have considerably colder winters. These include Norway, Sweden and Finland.
Fewer than half of all Irish homes have draught-sealing or wall insulation; only 22 per cent have ground floor insulation; 33 per cent are double-glazed; 20 per cent were built before the end of the first World War; and most are detached or semi-detached with large areas of exposed facade.
The cost of bringing all Irish housing up to the standard laid down in the 1997 building regulations would be £1,261 million over 10 years, the report estimates. But the saving in energy alone in the period would be £2,136 million. Other savings, including health savings of £912 million, would bring a net benefit from the project of £2,460 million.
The report suggests a number of "carrot and stick" measures to bring about the increase in energy efficiency.
These include grants and other support for people who cannot afford to make their homes fuel-efficient. It also includes a tax on carbon dioxide which would make fossil fuels more expensive for householders. This could be balanced by a tax relief for people investing in conservation.
Conservation measures would reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it says - the household sector accounts for more than 29 per cent of such emissions.
It would also create work for the long-term unemployed, it says. Nearly 5,000 jobs would be created in implementing the programme.
Such a programme would have to be overseen by a Cabinet subcommittee led by the Taoiseach, the report says. This is to ensure that rivalry between Government Departments and agencies did not prevent the programme from working.
At yesterday's launch, Prof Frank Convery, director of the Environmental Institute at UCD, said the benefits to be gained from such a programme were "fairly dramatic". It "would allow a large number of people to live longer lives, happier lives, less afflicted by disease".