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House Warming

Housewarming is your inside look at real Irish homes transforming for a greener energy future. The show is all about helping you to make your home a warmer, more energy efficient, and beautiful place to live.

We have design tips from Home of the Year winners and expert builders, advice on grants, finance and planning, and renovation stories from the likes of James Kavanagh, Fionnuala Jay, Ryan Baird, and Dermot Bannon. And we travelled across Ireland to chat with homeowners about their energy upgrades, interiors and sustainable habits.

Seasons 1-5 (under the title of '180 Degrees'), explores the energy choices we make when it comes to transport, our homes, business and technology. There is practical advice on reducing your energy bills, saving money and adopting a more energy-efficient lifestyle. We chat to expert guests to address some of the key questions around Ireland’s energy revolution, what renewable technologies are coming into our homes to help improve our lives and our communities and how we can prepare for a fossil free future. We also discuss the switch to electric vehicles and Ireland’s charging infrastructure

For more information, please visit seai.ie/podcast.

House Warming is brought to you by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland and is supported by the Government of Ireland.

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20 episodes
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February 20 · 29 min
S6: Bonus Episode - New and enhanced grants for homeowners!
SEAI has announced a package of new and enhanced grants for homeowners across the country who are looking to benefit from home energy upgrades. In this bonus episode, Kim sits down with Tom Halpin, Head of Communications at SEAI, to get all the details on what this means and how the new grants will benefit homeowners all over Ireland. You can find out all the details on the grants here
S6 · E10
Dec 2, 2025 · 54 min
S6 Ep10: The Home of the Future, with Dermot Bannon and Wayne Kavanagh
It’s the final episode of this season of House Warming! To wrap things up, Kim is back with Dermot Bannon, to look to the future. How will sustainability and energy efficiency change how we live, and what does the home of the future look like? Finally then, in our last homeowner visit, Kim travels to Blanchardstown in Dublin to meet Wayne Kavanagh. He had been living in his house for around ten years before a chat with some neighbours led to him going down the road of a full energy upgrade. SEAI’s One Stop Shop service offers homeowners all that’s required for a complete home energy upgrade. These registered private operators will manage the entire process for you, from the initial assessment of your home, through to the final BER. Wayne used the Churchfield Home Services, an SEAI registered One Stop Shop, to complete his upgrade. Find out more here: https://www.seai.ie/grants/home-energy-grants
S6 · E9
Nov 25, 2025 · 47 min
S6 Ep9: Upcycled Furniture and Eco Homes, with Fionnuala Jay, Olof and Siobhan
We are back this week with podcaster, broadcaster and sustainability influencer, Fionnuala Jones, who has been renovating the house she bought in Dublin. In this episode, Kim chats to her about her work in sustainability, upcycling, her design style and lots more. Then it’s off to Portarlington to visit the home of Olof and Siobhan. They wanted a warm, comfortable and eco-friendly house and Kim talks to them about how their energy upgrade has enhanced their lives. SEAI’s One Stop Shop service offers homeowners all that’s required for a complete home energy upgrade. These registered private operators will manage the entire process for you, from the initial assessment of your home, through to the final BER. Olof and Siobhan’s One Stop Shop was SSE Airtricity Find out more here: http://www.seai.ie/TraditionalHomes
S6 · E8
Nov 18, 2025 · 55 min
S6 Ep8: Traditional Homes, with Jenny Sheahan, Kate O’Driscoll, Stephen Farrell and Clifford Guest
Interior designers and podcasters, Kate O’Driscoll and Jenny Sheahan, are back on the podcast this week. They are joined by SEAI’s Stephen Farrell to talk about traditional homes: houses with character and history, but plenty of challenges too. Stephen talks us through the Traditional Home Pilot Scheme, run by the SEAI, and there’s lots of advice for anyone living in an older home. Kim then travels to Tipperary to meet Clifford Guest, who has renovated a beautiful 200-year-old home which has been in his family for six generations. Clifford tells Kim about his vision for the house and how he transformed the place. SEAI’s One Stop Shop service offers homeowners all that’s required for a complete home energy upgrade. These registered private operators will manage the entire process for you, from the initial assessment of your home, through to the final BER. Clifford’s One Stop Shop was Kore Retrofit Find out more here: http://www.seai.ie/TraditionalHomes
S6 · E7
Nov 11, 2025 · 47 min
S6 Ep7: “Squishy Irish”, with James Kavanagh and Hilda O’Shea
We're back with James Kavanagh, for more on his fabulous new home in Kilkenny. Kim sits down with James to dive deeper into his renovation plans, to chat about his “squishy Irish” design style, and to see how he envisions life in his new home. Kim then travels to Sligo to meet Hilda O’Shea. She is in the middle of transforming her 300-year-old house into a warm, energy efficient haven for her growing family. It’s an ambitious project, and Kim gets a full tour of the build in progress, before sitting down for a chat. SEAI’s One Stop Shop service offers homeowners all that’s required for a complete home energy upgrade. These registered private operators will manage the entire process for you, from the initial assessment of your home, through to the final BER. Hilda's One Stop Shop was Electric Ireland Superhomes Find out more here: https://www.seai.ie/grants/home-energy-grants
S6 · E6
Nov 4, 2025 · 39 min
S6 Ep6: Getting the Most from Your Energy Upgrade, with Kieran McCarthy and Deirdre De Burca
On this week’s episode Kim is back chatting to building engineer and fountain of energy upgrade knowledge, Kieran McCarthy. He gives his advice on how to get the best value for money on your energy upgrades, as well as sharing his thoughts on sustainable living and what the home of the future will look like. Kim then heads out to Cabinteely, in Dublin, to have a chat in Deirdre De Burca’s home. She took on a big renovation project to upgrade her mother’s former house, transforming it into a warm, comfy and energy efficient home. SEAI’s One Stop Shop service offers homeowners all that’s required for a complete home energy upgrade. These registered private operators will manage the entire process for you, from the initial assessment of your home, through to the final BER. Deirdre's One Stop Shop was SSE Airtricity Find out more here: https://www.seai.ie/grants/home-energy-grants
S6 · E5
Oct 28, 2025 · 35 min
S6 Ep5: Homes of the Year, with Kate O’Driscoll and Jenny Sheahan
On this episode of House Warming, host Kim Buckley sits down with interior designers and podcasters Kate O’Driscoll and Jenny Sheahan. Kate and Jenny were both competitors on RTE’s Home of the Year, but they went from competitors to collaborators and now co-host the interiors podcast Rip It Up. Kim gets the full story of how they both ended up working in interior design, despite starting out on very different career paths. They give us an insight into their award-winning homes, and what they’ve been up to since, and have plenty of great tips for anyone upgrading their home. SEAI’s One Stop Shop service offers homeowners all that’s required for a complete home energy upgrade. These registered private operators will manage the entire process for you, from the initial assessment of your home, through to the final BER. Find out more here: https://www.seai.ie/grants/home-energy-grants
S6 · E4
Oct 21, 2025 · 40 min
S6 Ep4: Making Plans, with Dermot Bannon and Jerome O’Donovan
On this episode of House Warming, Kim Buckley is talking all things design and architecture, and who better than Dermot Bannon to get some top tips on upgrading your home. Kim chats to Dermot about everything from heat pumps and solar panels to his famous glass box extensions! Kim then heads to Cork, to sit down with Jerome O’Donovan in his three-bedroom bungalow in Blackrock. With a deep retrofit he has brought his home to an A1 rating - as energy efficient as it’s possible to get a house! He tells Kim about what he’s learned from the experience and gives us a tour of his beautiful house. SEAI’s One Stop Shop service offers homeowners all that’s required for a complete home energy upgrade. These registered private operators will manage the entire process for you, from the initial assessment of your home, through to the final BER. Find out more here: https://www.seai.ie/grants/home-energy-grants For more information on Jerome's One Stop Shop, please visit https://www.envirobead.com/
S6 · E3
Oct 14, 2025 · 48 min
S6 Ep3: Home Comforts and Expert Advice, with Ryan Baird and Kieran McCarthy
On this episode of House Warming, Kim Buckley sits down with Leinster and Ireland rugby star Ryan Baird, and Kieran McCarthy, building engineer and regular on TV and radio. Ryan has just bought a new house by the sea in Dublin, and has big plans for the design and energy upgrade of his home. He tells Kim about his vision for a house where he can cook and entertain, but can also switch off, connect with nature, and take a break from busy training schedules. Meanwhile, Kieran has carried out extensive energy upgrades to his own house, as well as providing his expert advice to his clients and to the public on TV and radio. He chats to Kim about some of the common challenges and misconceptions around getting an energy upgrade. There is plenty of practical information for anyone interested in sustainable living and home renovation! SEAI’s One Stop Shop service offers homeowners all that’s required for a complete home energy upgrade. These registered private operators will manage the entire process for you, from the initial assessment of your home, through to the final BER. Find out more here: https://www.seai.ie/grants/home-energy-grants Ryan's One Stop Shop was Ohk Energy
S6 · E2
Oct 7, 2025 · 37 min
S6 Ep2: Warm and Cozy with Fionnuala Jay and Niamh Kent
Welcome back to House Warming, where Kim Buckley is getting an inside look at two Irish homes. Fionnuala Jones, or Fionnuala Jay to her online followers, is a podcaster, broadcaster and sustainability influencer. Tired of living in a series of cold and draughty apartments, she’s bought a house in Dublin and has been renovating it to create a warm, cozy, and energy efficient home . Meanwhile, in Cork, Niamh Kent had also been renting and looking to buy. So, when she and her husband got the chance to buy the house they had been living in, they jumped at the chance to start on their own renovation project and home energy upgrade. SEAI’s One Stop Shop service offers homeowners all that’s required for a complete home energy upgrade. These registered private operators will manage the entire process for you, from the initial assessment of your home, through to the final BER. Find out more here: https://www.seai.ie/grants/home-energy-grants Niamh's One Stop Shop was Envirobead
Oct 6, 2025 · 32 min
S6: Bonus Episode – How to Finance a Home Energy Upgrade
We all know a home energy upgrade isn’t cheap and is one of the main barriers to homeowners carrying out retrofit work. The Home Energy Upgrade Loan Scheme has been introduced to make a home energy upgrade more accessible and affordable for homeowners. The purpose of the government backed loan is to carry out home energy upgrade works that are also grant-aided through the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). You can borrow from €5,000 to €75,000 for a term of up to 10 years. Kim sat down with SEAI’s Roisin Mulligan and SBCI’s Orla Ní Cholmáin about how this loan helps to finance a home energy upgrade. Find out more about the Home Energy Upgrade Loan Scheme from the SEAI and SBCI. Find out more about SEAI’s home grants here.
S6 · E1
Sep 30, 2025 · 54 min
S6 Ep1: Country Life with James Kavanagh & Ellie Hagenau
On this, the first episode of House Warming, host Kim Buckley sits down with two homeowners who’ve moved out of the city to renovate a house in the countryside. James Kavanagh – social media personality, entrepreneur, television presenter, and podcaster – is currently renovating his house in Kilkenny. If you’ve been following him online, you’ll have heard all about his renovation project, and he chats about what inspired the move out of Dublin, how he and his partner found the perfect house, and what their renovation plans are. Kim also chats to Ellie Hagenau in her stunning cottage in rural Cork. They sit down in her living room, with views out over the fields, to talk about pink bedrooms, “cow TV” and transforming an old house it into a beautiful, energy efficient home. You can check out Ellie's house and renovation journey on Youtube here. Ellie's One Stop Shop was Insulex SEAI’s One Stop Shop service offers homeowners all that’s required for a complete home energy upgrade. These registered private operators will manage the entire process for you, from the initial assessment of your home, through to the final BER. Find out more here: https://www.seai.ie/grants/home-energy-grants
Sep 25, 2025 · 2 min
S6: House Warming Trailer
Welcome to Housewarming, a brand new series, brought to you by SEAI, all about helping you to make your home a warmer, more energy efficient, and beautiful place to live. We travelled across Ireland to chat with homeowners about their energy upgrades, interiors and sustainable habits. And we have design tips from Home of the Year winners and expert builders, advice on grants, finance and planning, and renovation stories from the likes of James Kavanagh, Fionnuala Jay, Ryan Baird, and Dermot Bannon.
S5 · E23
Apr 11, 2024 · 34 min
S5 Ep23: Does Ireland really care about the climate?
The evidence is clear. Climate change is happening. We need to pick up the pace and take further action to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions before it’s too late. In January this year, the EPA launched Ireland's Climate Change Assessment report (ICCA). The report provides a comprehensive assessment of our understanding of climate change in Ireland and our response to this global crisis - the first report of its kind for Ireland's climate. The EPA also published a second report on ‘Climate in the Irish Mind’, a national survey on climate attitudes in Ireland. In this episode, Dr Eimear Cotter, Director of the Office of Evidence and Assessment at the EPA, talks to Sinead about the reports’ key findings and the scale of the challenge ahead for Ireland and how there is still opportunity to reduce the impact of climate change, while also preparing to become climate resilient. To access Ireland's Climate Change Assessment report from the EPA, click here: Ireland’s Climate Change Assessment (ICCA) | Environmental Protection Agency (epa.ie) To access the 'Climate in the Irish Mind' report, click here: Climate Change in the Irish Mind | Environmental Protection Agency (epa.ie)
S5 · E22
Apr 4, 2024 · 4 min
S5 Ep22: Mini-Episode | Local Communities Leading Ireland’s Energy Revolution - Your Questions Answered
In this episode of 180 Degrees we zoom in on the growing number of ‘Sustainable Energy Community' groups across the country, who are working towards reducing their energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, and making their communities more sustainable. 180 Degrees Season 5 host Sinead Ryan is joined in the studio with Ruth Buggie of SEAI, Ger O'Halloran of the 'Connecting Cabra' Sustainable Energy Committee and Padraig Fallon, of the GAA Green Club initiative.
S5 · E21
Mar 28, 2024 · 36 min
S5 Ep21: Local Communities Leading Ireland’s Energy Revolution
In recent years, we are seeing more community groups coming together to take climate action in their local areas. Tackling everything from recycling and biodiversity, to renewable energy projects, ambitious and important climate work is happening locally, and forming the backbone of what it means to be part of an Irish community. In this episode of 180 Degrees we will zoom in on the growing number of ‘Sustainable Energy Community' groups across the country, who are working towards reducing their energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, and making their communities more sustainable. These groups are not only adapting to more sustainable energy behaviours, but they are also investing in large-scale energy projects that are benefiting all members of the community Representatives from different community-focused projects will share their experiences of being part of a community project, and the impact this is having on the wider community.
S5 · E20
Mar 21, 2024 · 5 min
S5 Ep20: Mini-Episode | Turbines talking to Toasters through Smart Grids and Smart Networks - Your Questions Answered
In this mini-episode, we enter the realm of Smart Grids and Smart Networks: a technological landscape where the smart grid, an advanced electricity network, facilitates seamless communication between electricity generators and users. Picture this: wind turbines engaging in a sophisticated dialogue with everyday appliances, turning your home into a synchronized hub of energy efficiency. Fergus Sharkey of SEAI returns and is joined by Chloe Kinsella of Cenergise to take us through the energy technology that lies ahead.
S5 · E19
Mar 14, 2024 · 31 min
S5 Ep19: Turbines talking to Toasters through Smart Grids and Smart Networks
We've heard of ‘smart products’ for our homes and the concept of the ‘Internet of Things’ - where our home appliances and apps can communicate to find the right product or play the ideal music in our living rooms – but are we soon going to have the same options for our home energy use? Enter the realm of Smart Grids and Smart Networks: a technological landscape where the smart grid, an advanced electricity network, facilitates seamless communication between electricity generators and users. This intricate web ensures optimal balance in meeting electricity demands for household activities like washing, cleaning, charging, and beyond. Picture this: wind turbines engaging in a sophisticated dialogue with everyday appliances, turning your home into a synchronized hub of energy efficiency. Tune in to find out more!
S5 · E18
Mar 7, 2024 · 7 min
S5 Ep18: Mini-Episode | Going Green is the next step for Irish Businesses - Your Questions Answered
In this mini-episode, Fergus Sharkey of SEAI and Tina Dowling, CEO at 'The Watershed' sport and leisure centre in Kilkenny, answer questions on how SEAI is supporting businesses to decarbonise and save on energy costs and what choices Tina made to start the The Watershed's energy journey.
S5 · E17
Feb 29, 2024 · 29 min
S5 Ep17: Going Green is the next step for Irish Businesses
In this episode we discuss how SEAI is supporting businesses to decarbonise and save on energy costs with Fergus Sharkey of SEAI and Tina Dowling, CEO at the Watershed, home of sport and Leisure in Kilkenny. The Watershed, who provide a host of indoor and outdoor sporting facilities and swimming, were finalists in the SME category at the SEAI Energy Awards. Tina discusses how they got started on their energy journey and more importantly, why.

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