Don’t Get Caught in the Winter Rush – Why Right Now is a Great Time to Upgrade
Every year across Ireland, the same story repeats itself. As the first cold snap hits in October, homeowners suddenly realise their heating bills are about to skyrocket. Phones start ringing, emails flood in, and everyone wants the same thing: an urgent home energy upgrade. But by then, it’s too late to avoid the winter rush.
Smart homeowners know there’s a better way. They understand that August isn’t just the tail end of summer – it’s the perfect window of opportunity to transform their homes before winter arrives. If you’re tired of dreading your winter energy bills, now is the time to act.
The Winter Rush Reality Check
Picture this: It’s late October, temperatures are dropping, and your heating bills have just doubled. You’re not alone – thousands of Irish homeowners are having the same realisation. They’re all scrambling to book energy assessments, heat pump installations, and insulation upgrades at exactly the same time.
The result? Overwhelming demand across the entire industry.
Quality contractors become booked solid for months. Installation dates stretch into the new year. What should be a planned, stress-free upgrade becomes a situation with limited options and extended waiting times.
If you make your first enquiry when the first cold snap hits, you could wait several weeks for heat pump installations, meaning you’ll have missed the entire heating season you were trying to prepare for!
If your current system is old, you could face costly emergency situations when your old oil boilers or gas systems break down during the coldest months, forcing you into expensive temporary heating solutions like electric heaters whilst waiting for new systems to be installed. This kind of emergency breakdown can be avoided with planned upgrades completed during quieter months.
The harsh reality is that waiting until you absolutely need heating puts you at the mercy of everyone else’s poor planning.
Why August is Your Sweet Spot
August offers the “perfect storm” of conditions for home energy upgrades. The weather is still warm and dry – ideal for external work like heat pump installations and solar panel mounting. Extended daylight hours mean installation teams can work longer, completing projects faster. Warmer weather means there’s no issue with leaving windows open during work, or indeed, replacing windows entirely.
But it’s not just about the weather. August sits in that sweet spot where quality contractors like Leetherm have availability and flexibility. We’re not yet overwhelmed by the autumn rush, which means more scheduling options for you. You’ll get the full focus of our experienced installers at a time that works for your schedule.
This timing advantage extends to the entire supply chain as well. Equipment is readily available, delivery schedules are reliable, and there’s no competition for installation slots. It’s the difference between choosing your preferred dates and being winter-ready versus taking whatever’s available months later – potentially missing the entire heating season you’re preparing for.
The Financial Advantage of Acting Now
The financial benefits of August upgrades extend far beyond avoiding industry-wide capacity constraints. SEAI grants are readily available without the year-end bottlenecks that can delay applications. Low-cost financing options remain accessible before potential year-end constraints tighten lending criteria.
More importantly, you’ll start saving on energy bills immediately. A heat pump installed in August will reduce your heating costs from the first cool evening in September. Over the course of a winter, those early savings add up significantly. Compare this to a system installed in January – you’ve missed almost the entire expensive heating season.
And if your system is coming to the end of its expected lifespan, consider this: if your current heating system fails during winter, you’re looking at emergency replacement costs. Emergency calls, rush delivery charges, and premium labour rates from emergency repair services all add up when you’re desperate for heat – costs that could have been avoided with planned replacement during quieter months.
What You Can Realistically Achieve Before Winter
The timeline for different types of upgrades varies, but August gives you realistic winter-ready completion dates for most improvements:
Heat pump installations typically require 6-8 weeks from assessment to commissioning. Starting in August means your new system will be ready for the first cold snap.
Solar panel systems can be completed in 4-6 weeks, allowing you to start generating free electricity before the shorter days of autumn reduce solar potential.
Insulation upgrades – whether cavity wall, attic, or external wall insulation – can usually be completed within 2-4 weeks, immediately improving your home’s thermal performance.
For comprehensive upgrades combining multiple measures, August still provides sufficient time to complete everything in time for winter.
The Cost of Waiting
The hypothetical Murphy family from Clonmel will learn this lesson the hard way. They plan to upgrade their heating system but keep putting it off. When their old oil boiler fails in December later this year, they’ll face a choice: expensive emergency repairs or waiting until February for a heat pump installation while relying on expensive electric heaters.
That emergency repair could cost them upwards of €2,400, and they’ll still face the same heating bills all winter. If they act now, not only will they save that emergency repair cost, they’ll also save the cost of temporary heating solutions and enjoy reduced heating bills throughout the winter months.
How Leetherm Makes August Upgrades Seamless
As your SEAI-registered One Stop Shop, Leetherm is perfectly positioned to help you avoid the winter rush. Our current availability means we can schedule your virtual assessment within days, not weeks. We handle all grant applications, lay out your low-cost financing options, coordinate installations, and ensure everything is completed before you need it.
Our comprehensive approach means one point of contact, one project timeline, and one guarantee covering all aspects of your upgrade. No juggling multiple contractors or worrying about coordination – we manage everything so you can focus on enjoying your improved home.
Your August Home Energy Upgrade Action Plan
Don’t join the winter rush. Instead, follow this simple plan:
- Contact Leetherm for your free initial home energy consultation.
- For smaller projects, we’ll agree the best upgrades for your home.
- For deep retrofit projects:
- Leetherm will conduct your comprehensive home energy assessment (HEA). The SEAI offers a €350 grant specifically for this assessment.
- Review your HEA recommendations and secure your installation slot.
- Complete grant applications and finalise project details.
- Enjoy your upgraded home as others start panicking about winter bills.
The choice is yours: plan ahead now or join the desperate rush later.
Smart homeowners choose August. Will you?
Ready to beat the winter rush? Contact Leetherm today and secure your upgrade before everyone else realises they should have acted sooner!
