Home Energy Saving: The importance of emergency lighting
The Rural Electrification Scheme commenced properly in 1946 having been deferred from 1939 due to the Second World War.
By 1965, 80% of rural households throughout Ireland were connected to the electricity supply. Since then, electricity has played a crucial role in Ireland’s development, bringing numerous benefits across all aspects of life.
Household electrification improved standards of living by providing electric lighting, heating, and other modern appliances.
The shift from coal and turf to electric heating and cooking improved indoor air quality.
All of that is again changing with the remaining sources of heating moving to energy efficient methods.
Looking back now, one wonders how people in Ireland survived before the installation of electricity. They were for sure a resilient generation.
This is all fine when working smoothly, in other words the availability of electricity all year round. Occasionally there may be outages, these are normally flagged in advance for maintenance purposes or unexpected outages at a transformer or power stations.
These outages only last for short periods and do not usually cause much disruption.
Storm Eowyn earlier this year became a major wake up call for all electricity consumers the length and breadth of the country.
Yes, people were warned about the verbosity of the storm, buy no one legislated for what followed. In the space of less the six hours, Ireland experienced its worst ever wind storm.
The ferocious windstorm brought the highest sustained winds and the highest wind gusts ever recorded in Ireland. Sustained winds of 84 miles per hour gusting to 114 miles per hour were reported between 4am and 5am at Mace Head.
Some 23,600 hectares of forestry was destroyed during the storm, bringing down many thousands of trees and power lines.
However, the figure could be as high as 30,000 hectares. The storm's intense winds also led to numerous instances of property damage.
At its peak, the storm left approximately 768,000 homes and businesses without electricity, and around 115,000 homes, primarily in the south of the country also experienced water supply disruptions.
The loss of power became the main talking point after the storms with some customers without power for up to four weeks.
This was perceived to be most concerning, particularly for older and vulnerable people in our society. Farming and businesses were also badly affected.
Calls are now been made for emergency lighting to become part of the SEAI grants programme particularly for the Warmer Homes scheme.
This scheme is designed towards old and vulnerable people. Finding their way in the dark for medicines, comfort calls and other needs became both dangerous and very frustrating.
Including emergency lighting in all Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) grants would provide many key benefits during power outages.
They ensure visibility in homes and businesses, reducing the risk of accidents such as trips and falls.
This was evident for older people during Storm Eowyn. It also provides lighting for emergency exits.
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