Welcome to the DCU Sustainable Energy Community

Sustainability DCU, in partnership with the SEAI, is here to support you to make energy efficiency improvements to your home.

The DCU Sustainable Energy Community (SEC) facilitates a one-stop shop where you can find out about:

• types of upgrades you can make to your property
• different technologies and their suitability for your home energy needs
• available grants and how to apply
  • Warmer Home Scheme : For homeowners who receive certain welfare payments
  • Home Energy Grants: For all homeowners
• additional funding options 
• how to find an energy professional in your area.

Not sure where to start?

The first step is to assess your home’s energy efficiency – there are two ways of doing this. 

1. Borrow a Home Energy Savings Kit from your local library (We are working with Codema to get some of these kits for the DCU Libraries in 2026).  These kits help you assess how you use energy and where you might be wasting it through poor ventilation or certain appliances, for example. 
2. Alternatively, engage a professional to carry out a home energy report on your dwelling. 
3. Below is a list of Low-Cost and No-Cost Actions that can help reduce energy use and keep homes warmer.

Low-Cost and No-Cost Actions to Reduce energy use and keep homes warmer.

• Stop draughts: Make some draught excluders with old trousers or tights – simply stuff with scrap material or old clothes and sew up both ends. Alternatively you can pick up low cost draught excluders made from recycled materials at the Rediscovery Centre. The Crafty Studio may also be able to give guidance on making draught excluders. Use around doors, windows, and letterboxes to block cold air. 
• Adjust your thermostat: If you can lower the thermostat by just 1°C, you can reduce your heating bill by up to 10% without a noticeable drop in comfort. 
• Window curtains: Open blinds and curtains on south-facing windows during sunny days to let the natural heat in. Close them tightly when the sun goes down to lock warmth in.
• Door curtains: Many front and back doors can be very draughty. Making some heavy curtains using recycled materials (Rediscovery Centre / Crafty Studio ) can significantly reduce draughts and improve the warmth in your home.
• Use radiator reflector foil: Place radiator reflector panels behind radiators mounted on external walls to bounce heat back into the room instead of letting it escape through the wall. These are available in most hardware stores incl Lenehans, Woodies, Screwfix and Botanic Supplies 
• Uncover radiators: Move heavy sofas, beds, or long curtains away from radiators so warm air can circulate freely around the room. 
• Bleed your radiators: Trapped air in your radiators stops them from heating up fully and efficiently so make sure to regularly bleed radiators with a radiator key. If you don’t know how to do this you can ask the experts at Botanic Supplies or look it up online.
• Turn off unused rooms: Turn off radiator valves and keep doors shut in rooms you do not use so your heating focuses on living spaces. 

Join the next DCU SEC meeting and learn how people at DCU have conducted home energy reports, supported by the DCU SEC