Personal Green Hub

If you are building a home

All new builds in Ireland must typically have a BER (Building Energy Rating) of A2 or above.

New homes with this high level of energy performance are called Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB), and will be 70% more energy efficient and emit 70% less carbon dioxide than those built under the 2005 building regulations.

The changes will result in new homes being more energy efficient and cheaper to heat than existing dwellings, and will give health benefits through increased comfort and better air quality. (source gov.ie).

Green Travel

We can all save money and have a big impact on the environment by travelling more sustainably. There are many ways we can do this, by using public transport, flying less or switching from using the car to cycling. If you are interested in switching to an electric vehicle, not only will it be cheaper to tax and cheaper to service, but you could also save up to 70% on fuel costs. (source: www.SEAI.ie)

You might also be eligible for a grant towards the cost of your new electric vehicle, or towards installing a charging point at your home. Check out the SEAI for information on grants currently available.

If you prefer to cycle, check out the Bike to work scheme and save up to 52% on the cost of a new bike.

Everyday banking

Small changes can help us live more sustainably. That’s why we launched our new bio-sourced cards.

• Plastic cards will soon be part of our history. We’re planning to have moved away from plastic debit and credit cards by 2026.
• Corny but true: our replacement cards are now made from 82% bio-sourced, renewable materials that come from field corn.
• Older PVC-style cards can take up to 400 years to fully break down. When your new card reaches its expiry date on the other hand, it takes around six months.
• The introduction of our new sustainable cards will take around 17 tonnes of CO2 out of the atmosphere every year and reduce plastic use by 4.48 tonnes (imagine 500ml water bottles, 162,000 of them).