Air Quality and Safe Room Ventilation During Cold Weather

Air Quality

Air pollution leads to health problems every year in Ireland. Most of these problems are caused by the burning of solid fuels, such as coal or wood. Indoor air pollution can be a real problem during the colder months, when we are more likely to light a fire to keep our homes warm. Consider the following before lighting a fire:

If you have no alternative and do need to light a fire, follow the Environmental Protection Agency advice and infographic on how best to burn fuel to reduce the amount of air pollution produced by your fire. Also make sure you exercise good fire safety. You can check your local air quality at airquality.ie. The HSE provides air quality health advice for during times of “poor” or “very poor” air quality.

In the longer term, improving the insulation of your home is a good way of reducing the need for additional heating (including the lighting of indoor fires). The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland provide useful energy saving advice, and grants are available to help with Home Energy Upgrades.

Safe Room Ventilation

When it’s cold outside we tend to keep our windows closed more to keep the heat in. Ventilation, however, remains very important even during cold weather. With low temperatures we use more heating devices and some of these (especially older models) can create carbon monoxide, which can be extremely dangerous. It’s still possible to ventilate a room while heating it by following the advice below. Another reason it’s important to continue ventilation is to reduce the risk of transmission of viruses, including COVID-19 and flu.

By following these tips, you can keep yourself and your home as warm as possible while allowing for safe ventilation at the same time.

Last Updated: 8 January 2024