So, by not using our heating system as much, we will be cutting down on our collective carbon footprints and thereby doing our own little bit for the environment.

But why would we want to cut down on our heating, especially in the coldest months of the year?

The reality is that reducing the time your heating system is on is not the same as cutting down on your heating. It comes down to the efficiency of your heating system, but also of your home itself - and the problem with Irish homes is that they tend to perform poorly when it comes to retaining heat, thereby making people run their heating system for longer.

But Greenspan is an Irish company that sources building solutions which help people to cut down on the need for an almost constantly running heating system. One of the problems with Irish housing is that they are, almost uniformly poorly insulated. But to retro-fit proper insulation can be a costly and time-consuming process, not to mention the hassle of not being able to use the rooms while the improvements are being made.

Greenspan has an answer to this problem with its "outsulation" system (insulation for the outside of the house).

Its 'Dryvit' system is basically an insulation board reinforced with mesh, which then has a base coat applied before being covered by an acrylic render. But the difference is that all of this goes on outside of the home, allowing the residents to continue living as normal inside the house while the application takes place.

Basically, this type of outsulation comes with a variety of finishes, and dramatically improves the U-value of the house. It was tested by Oakridge National Laboratory in the US, which found that it made a home 84% more thermally efficient than traditionally built houses, which will make it ideal for homes looking to enhance their thermal performance ahead of the EU building performance directive - which will impact on everyone by 2009.

Greenspan also offers a number of other building technologies aimed at reducing the overall carbon footprint in Ireland. For example, it provides a cement board system for exteriors which is only 12.5mm thick - so by using less concrete, there are fewer CO 2emissions, and because the process is quicker, there is less machinery on site, thereby further decreasing the amount of energy needed.