New homes here are most energy efficient in the world

Six men barged into his rented property and snatched his phone - and that of his wife - out of his hand.

Paul Melia

CHANGES to building regulations means that homes built in the past four years are among the most energy-efficient anywhere in the world.

New figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that 23pc of all homes built between 2010 and 2014 have achieved an 'A' rating, meaning they are warmer and cheaper to heat.

This compares with just 1pc of all homes built between 2005 and 2009 achieving the same rating. All new homes built since January 2007 must include a Building Energy Rating (BER).

The CSO said there had been a "dramatic improvement" in standards, with 92pc of homes built between 2010 and 2014 achieving an 'A' or 'B' rating. This compares with just 40pc between 2005 and 2009.

The figures were welcomed by the Green Party, which introduced the regulations. Party leader Eamon Ryan said the regulations "saved Irish householders a fortune in home heating costs, and created a whole new industry in energy efficiency building products".