Ireland's reliance on fossil fuels (mostly imported) is being cruelly exposed as shortsighted and, despite some moves towards alternative energy (in the context of opposition to nuclear power), unless we collectively act faster, it may be too little, too late.

But it is not all doom and gloom. For the first time ever, we appear to have a concerted effort from almost everyone to be more energy conscious - and for many householders this includes a switch to a renewable energy source for their home heating.

A move to cleaner, greener heating has been facilitated by Sustainable Energy Ireland's Greener Homes scheme, which offers grants for householders to switch to renewable energy sources for their home heating (fixed grants for biomass and geothermal, and square metre grants for solar heating).

But the authorities could be doing more - especially in the light of Northern Ireland's situation, whereby any surplus energy created through domestic generation is essentially bought back by the electricity companies. And while there are currently no plans to introduce such a system here, there are powerful groups recommending that systems such as dual metering are put in place to offer a more equitable playing field to those involved in the generation of electricity on a small scale.

But even without the carrot of actually being paid for the power we generate, there are enough reasons to elect for a sustainable system. For example, the SEI grant will cover many of the costs of installation, and running costs should be much cheaper than those for gas, oil or electric heating.

So what is available for homeowners who are looking to switch to a more green form of heating?